Monitoring Interventions to Respond to Sexual Violence in Humanitarian Contexts

Abstract

Sexual violence in conflict settings is recognized as a war crime, constituting a grave violation of human rights. This article compares and contrasts sexual violence intervention monitoring and evaluation (M&E) tools recommended by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee and indicators used by leading international humanitarian organizations to monitor and evaluate medical care, mental health care and psychosocial support, and legal aid services for survivors of sexual violence in humanitarian contexts. We find that few organizations have published their M&E tools. Among those that have, there is a wide diversity of definitions and indicators, creating knowledge gaps on what works, especially around less-studied populations such as male survivors. This study finds methodological and epistemological questions in the use of quantitative indicators in contexts of stigma, violence, and discrimination and challenges in mainstreaming sexual violence interventions in health.

Keywords: Sexual Violence, Humanitarian, Monitoring, Evaluation, Conflict