The Call to Action on Protection from Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies: An Assessment of the Role of Collective Approaches

The Call to Action on Protection from Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies (CtA) was launched in 2013 by concerned donor governments to bring increased awareness to the appalling levels of gender-based violence (GBV) experienced, particularly by women and girls, in crises. It was catalysed by the rising political attention being paid at that time to the use of rape as a weapon of war in contexts such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Darfur and Myanmar. This high-level political initiative has effectively pushed recognition among states and donors, the United Nations (UN), non-governmental organisations (NGOs), international organisations and local actors that prevention and response to GBV is a life-saving activity that should be considered as a priority at the outset of a crisis and implemented through a multi-disciplinary approach by all actors involved in humanitarian crises.