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Work with adolescent girls cannot be effectively undertaken in isolation of wider attitudes, behaviours and social norms that shape the lives of girls, or without engaging key stakeholders that influence the lives of girls including parents and caregivers, service providers, men and boys and traditional or faith leaders.

This is especially important as social attitudes and contexts can influence the normalisation of violence against girls, such as Early and Forced Child Marriage (EFCM), Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C), older men making sexual approaches to girls once they reach…

An important element of working with and for girls on VAWG programming involves providing access to high-quality, girl-friendly services for girls who have experienced violence. Working with girls can also require additional sensitivity and specialised training; where girls have survived violence, it’s important to provide them with age-sensitive care. The types of violence that girls are exposed to, their capacity and agency, and the resources available to them can vary significantly across developmental stages of girlhood. Services should be age and developmentally appropriate, located in a…

Adolescence is a time of rapid physical and cognitive development, so it is important to consider different approaches to engage at different stages of girlhood and adolescence. Approaches that work with girls at age 10 will usually vary from those with 19-year-olds. At the same time, it is important to consider the specific circumstances of adolescent girls: approaches that work with in-school girls may need to be different for out-of-school girls, for married girls, or girls who are mothers. Research suggests that interventions using group-based approaches are most effective when girls who…

Inclusion of a diverse range of girls is important to ensure that programmes address the different experiences, needs and priorities among girls and leave no one behind. Girls and young women from marginalised groups can face increased challenges and risks of violence. For instance, adolescents with disabilities are 2 to 4 times more likely to experience violence than non-disabled adolescents, with girls being at particular risk of sexual violence. There are many ways girls can be meaningfully engaged in policy and programming work, for instance leadership opportunities, peer mentorship…

In situations where static, traditional GBV services are unable to reach many people due to factors like displacement, natural disasters and other emergencies like Covid-19, or remote locations, alternative options have emerged. Remote services involve staff using technology to provide GBV services from a distance, while mobile services provide services directly to people who are displaced, in transit or who cannot easily access traditional (static) services. These models can be designed according to the Leave No One Behind principle to meet the needs of GBV survivors from vulnerable…

All survivors of violence have a right to care and support, however, not all survivors experience violence in the same way, and some groups have multiple and intersecting vulnerabilities that can impact their health. It is important that these groups do not get overlooked in service delivery. Health services should consider what survivors need, the barriers they might face, and how to provide them with specialised services. Some examples of vulnerable groups that could need specific care include:

Pregnant women survivors: Women and adolescent girls who experience sexual violence while…

Asking survivors about violence needs to be linked to an effective response, which would include a first-line supportive response, appropriate medical treatment and care as needed, and referral(s) to other services. A service mapping identifying health, psychosocial, protection, legal, shelter/safe accommodation, livelihoods and other services is therefore integral for providing effective GBV support. Read more information on strengthening referral mechanisms.

Healthcare providers need to be aware of the laws and obligations on reporting sexual violence and intimate partner violence to the police or authorities. Although mandatory reporting is often intended to protect survivors (particularly children), in some cases it may conflict with the GBV Guiding Principles (see the Inter-Agency Minimum Standards for GBViE Programming, 2019). Furthermore, in the case of adults, mandatory reporting impinges on their autonomy and ability to make their own decisions. It also raises safety concerns as women may experience retaliation, fear losing custody of their…

Many survivors will not disclose violence to a healthcare provider (or any other provider) due to fear of repercussions, social stigma, rejection from partners/families and other reasons. If healthcare providers are not well trained, they may not be able to detect the indicators of violence. Survivors may be inadvertently discouraged from asking for help for VAWG-related health problems. This can occur if the provider does not ask the right questions; if communication materials in the facility do not make clear the types of services that are available, and that they are available for all; or…

Safety in and around health facilities is vital. This can include having good lighting, female guards, and separate, lockable latrines and washing facilities. Community health workers can also support survivors to get to and from facilities. If written information on GBV is shared on site (i.e. posters, pamphlets or leaflets), these should be in private areas like washrooms which should feature appropriate warnings to survivors about taking resources home if an abusive partner is there. 

Wherever possible, services for survivors should also be integrated into existing healthcare centres in…