THE INTERFACE BETWEEN CHILD
PROTECTION & GBV R&P
Siobhán Foran, GenCap Advisor, Global Clusters, Geneva
Overall Objectives…
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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)
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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 childmother and her baby to
life and to full survival
and development
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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)
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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
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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
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Sexual violence
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Sexual exploitation and abuse
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Forced recruitment into armed
forces (combatants, domestic and
sex ‘slaves’)
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Detention (random round-up,
detention [inappropriate
conditions, e.g. not segregated
from adult men], torture as
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potential or suspected combatants)
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Early marriage
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Child labour
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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
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Children in detention
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Child soldiers/within armed forces
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Adolescents
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Children with a mental and physical disability
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Working children
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Girl mothers
ADAPT & ACT - Collectively
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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
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Coordinate actions with all partners
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Response Considerations
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Establish child-friendly referral, reporting and
M&E mechanisms
Health/Medical Needs
Psychosocial Needs
Security and safety
Legal/Justice
Prevention Considerations
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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
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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.