On December 5, 2017, in commemoration of 16 Days Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) the Gender-Based Violence Task Force of USAID’s Interagency Gender Working Group hosted an event focused on continuing the dialogue from this year’s Sexual Violence Research Initiative Forum (SVRI) in Brazil. This year’s SVRI brought together over 450 researchers, activists, service providers, funders, survivors, and other stakeholders from around the world. Conference participants heard a wealth of new evidence, innovations, and initiatives on preventing and responding to GBV. December 5th’s GBV Task Force event focused on new developments and future challenges for the field; panelists and attendees grappled with issues of male engagement, violence against children, and the impact of new disciplines.

The discussion was moderated by Population Reference Bureau’s Charlotte Feldman-Jacobs, Associate Vice President of International Programs, and panelists for the event included:

• Elizabeth Dartnall, Research Manager at SVRI;
• Amy Bank, Senior Advisor at Puntos de Encuentro;
• Esther Spindler, Research Officer at Georgetown University’s Institute for Reproductive Health; and
• Manisha Mehta, Program Director of the Women’s Rights and Reproductive Rights Programs at Wellspring Advisors.

Elizabeth Dartnall began the panel discussion with a presentation that identified key highlights and questions stemming from this year’s SVRI. The presentation provided an overview of the Forum as well as identified key strides in preventing GBV through the use of data and advocacy.

Elizabeth Dartnall was followed by an engaging panel discussion that featured healthy debate and constructive ideas on how to improve GBV prevention and reach new audiences. Amy Bank, Esther Spindler, and Manisha Mehta addressed key items that included the linkages between GBV and violence against children, the importance of putting local advocacy movements at the center, and engaging me while still focusing on violence against women.

Please find a recording of the event here. 

Please find Elizabeth Dartnall’s presentation here. 

Other Resources

For more information on the feminist approaches and critical work of Puntos de Encuentro, click here.

To read about our panelists, click here.

Click here for a blog for coverage on SVRI 2017 from Esther Spindler and her colleagues at Georgetown’s Institute of Reproductive Health.

 

This event was organized by the Gender-Based Violence Task Force of the Interagency Gender Working Group and its co-chairs, PRB and FHI360. It is funded by the Office of Population and Reproductive Health of USAID’s Bureau for Global Health. The event brought together 40 participants from the Washington, DC area and over 35 participants online from 6 different countries.