Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Legal Aid: A Participatory Toolkit

This toolkit from the American Refugee Committee (ARC) provides three tools and a step-by-step process to help field staff design Gender-Based Violence (GBV) services that will incorporate "adequate, appropriate, and comprehensive prevention and response strategies" with a multi-sectoral approach. One underlying principle of this toolkit is that GBV services and GBV legal aid need to be implemented in a gradual and culturally appropriate manner to maximise effectiveness and to prevent harmful consequences and backlash to the survivors from the community. A second underlying principle is that people in the community are the most knowledgeable of the unique characteristics of their environment and how to best address them.

The toolkit uses a participatory approach to both conduct a 'Preliminary Assessment' of the given community and to design an 'Action Plan' for that community. It guides the user through a process of a situational analysis (assessment) and an action-planning exercise that includes identifying problems, setting objectives, and laying out activities and timelines. The toolkit was created for humanitarian aid workers from all service sectors - health, social service, legal, and security - to help develop and implement GBV services. It aims to be particularly useful for those working with populations in conflict situations.