THE INTERFACE BETWEEN CHILD PROTECTION & GBV R&P Siobhán Foran, GenCap Advisor, Global Clusters, Geneva

Overall Objectives…  Child Protection Working Group is to promote, protect and fulfil children’s rights to protection from abuse, exploitation and violence in emergencies as expressed in the UN CRC and other human rights, humanitarian treaties and conventions, as well as national laws.  GBV AoR Working Group is to develop effective and inclusive protection mechanisms which promote a coherent, comprehensive and coordinated approach to GBV at the field-level, including regarding prevention, care, support, recovery, and works to hold perpetrators accountable. These actions will be in line with the IASC Gender-based Violence Guidelines and undertaken in accordance with international humanitarian law and human rights law, and be informed by regional or national legal frameworks in specific country support actions.  The GBV AoR Working Group undertakes its activities within a framework which promotes action based on gender analysis, participation, transparency, partnership, and survivor-centered principles.

Relevant Guiding Principles (1)  The Right to Life; Survival and Development (Art. 6)  Adopt measures to safeguard life  Applies to physical survival and development but also to mental and emotional development. E.g. Early marriage can threaten both the child- mother and her baby to life and to full survival and development  Non-discrimination (Art. 2)  Every child within a State’s jurisdiction, regardless of sex holds all the rights of the CRC

Relevant Guiding Principles (2)  The Best Interests of the Child (Art. 3)  Applies to both decisions relating to individual children and to broader policy matters/decisions relating to groups of children on the issue of GBV response and prevention  Child’s best interests: Objective standards / Subjective opinions  Participation:  Children have the right to influence decisions that will affect their lives – their views must be given “due weight”  Highlights the role of the child as an active participant in the promotion, protection and monitoring of her/his rights.  Recognition that the child can and should have a direct influence (in accordance with their age and maturity) on her/his future.

Forms of GBV Affecting Children  Sexual violence  Sexual exploitation and abuse  Forced recruitment into armed forces (combatants, domestic and sex ‘slaves’)  Detention (random round-up, detention [inappropriate conditions, e.g. not segregated from adult men], torture as potential or suspected combatants)  Early marriage  Child labour  Children in institutions (orphanages, prisons, institutions for persons with a physical or mental disability)  Harmful traditional practices - FGM, child marriage, son preference, dowry-related violence, forced marriage after rape), witchcraft (e.g. sex with a child as cure for illness, HIV&AIDS, etc.)  Trafficking - For commercial/sexual exploitation  Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children (2000)  Child Prostitution

Children most at Risk Includes but not limited to -  Unaccompanied and separated children  Children in detention  Child soldiers/within armed forces  Adolescents  Children with a mental and physical disability  Working children  Girl mothers

ADAPT & ACT - Collectively  Analyse gender differences*  Design services to meet the needs of all  Access for women, girls, boys and men  Participate equally  Train women and men equally and  Address GBV in sector programmes  Collect, anlyse and report sex- and age-disaggregated data*  Target actions based on a gender analysis  Coordinate actions with all partners

Response Considerations  Establish child-friendly referral, reporting and M&E mechanisms  Health/Medical Needs  Psychosocial Needs  Security and safety  Legal/Justice

Prevention Considerations Multi-sectoral – need to coordinate with all clusters/sectors  CP and GBV sub-Clusters advocate to ensure that the unique needs of girls and boys are addressed in provision of humanitarian assistance  Examples -  WASH – girls are engaged in identifying where sanistation facilities are established  Education – girls and boys participate in consultations to identify GBV risk factors that result in poor performance, non attendance, drop-out, low self esteem  Rule of Law – full application of provisions of CRC (as appropriate), human rights and humanitarian law as applies to children (‘regardless of sex or age’)

Challenges  Focus on response whereas a wealth of work to be done on prevention (e.g. understanding and promoting the integration of gender mainstreaming throughout humanitarian response as creation of protective environment);  Focus on sexual violence in conflict;  Women/girls as victims; men as perpetrators – not helpful, not true and may ignore men/boys as victims, as well as positive contributions of men/boys – opportunities through education, CP advocacy work, etc.;  Engaging with men in prevention of GBV – opportunities through education, CP advocacy work, etc.