Seoul (12 July 2023) –The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Mission in the Republic of Korea (ROK), in partnership with the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), hosted a training workshop on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Essentials in Humanitarian Assistance from July 11 to 12, 2023. The workshop was attended by a total of 27 ROK NGO workers, government officials and other relevant professionals. 

The event was organized in response to the strong interests and demands from ROK humanitarian workers, for specialized training on GBV. Building upon the success of the two previous workshops on addressing GBV in emergencies in 2018 and 2019, the two-day groupwork was aimed at providing GBV capacity-building support to ROK humanitarian practitioners by introducing the core concepts of GBV and key principles of GBV programming, particularly through a survivor-centred approach. The occasion also explored both specialized and non-specialized areas of GBV intervention, including mainstreaming and integrating GBV prevention and risk mitigation into a humanitarian project as well as standalone programming. Thanks to the scenario-oriented exercises and project examples from the field, participants furthered their knowledge and skills to be immediately applied to practice. 

The training also coincided with the publication of the Korean translation of “Understanding the Core Functions and Differences between Women and Girls Safe Spaces (WGSS) and One Stop Centers (OSC),” led by IOM ROK.  

Guided by Cassandre Aretha Fiona AMAH, Protection Officer at IOM Afghanistan, the workshop explored comprehensive and practical aspects of GBV interventions in humanitarian contexts. Some of the key sessions included core concepts and terminologies, mechanisms to address GBV in humanitarian interventions backed by examples from the field, how to deal with GBV disclosure, an overview of case management and the difference between WGSS and OSCs based on the new publication on the same topic.    

"No country in the world is immune to gender-based violence. Whether in countries at peace or in countries at war, women and girls remain the primary targets and survivors of gender-based violence. Addressing this issue is a responsibility shared by all. In humanitarian settings, specific skills and understanding of the context and challenges are required for effective intervention,” said Amah. “The recent two-day training provided an opportunity for ROK humanitarian practitioners to enhance their understanding of core concepts of gender-based violence and the necessary requirements for developing and implementing a robust response in their intervention contexts, aligned with international standards and principles.” 

Since 2014, IOM ROK, with support from USAID, has been supporting ROK humanitarian actors with capacity enhancement in emergency preparedness and response through tailored trainings, resource curation, and knowledge-sharing activities in various forms. 

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For more information, please contact Eunice Jieun KIM, IOM Republic of Korea Mission, Tel.: +82 70 4820 0291, Email: jikim@iom.int.