How does Women at the Centre address these gaps?

• Comprehensive services: Women at the Centre addresses gaps in the comprehensive provision of services for survivors of gender-based violence, particularly those who are most socially marginalized, including women and girls with disabilities, LGBTIQI+ people, and adolescent girls.
• Workforce development: Investment in capacity strengthening and professionalization of the social service workforce ensures that frontline gender-based violence responders are equipped to provide immediate and comprehensive support for all women and girls, including the most marginalized.
• Global curriculum: Women at the Centre is UNFPA’s first initiative to offer a global curriculum for social workers providing gender-based violence response services, which will serve as guidance for other countries.
• Enhanced service quality and access: Increased quality and coverage of gender-based violence case management, along with community outreach, builds community trust, generates more use of services, and mitigates the risk of ongoing violence.
• System strengthening: Women at the Centre provides increased and sustained accessibility and availability of quality services for survivors of gender-based violence, including the most marginalized, through gender-based violence case management capacity and system strengthening in five countries.

What are the five main objectives of the programme?

UNFPA works in partnership with government agencies, academic institutions and civil society actors to build strong gender-based violence case management systems across the five implementing countries through the following activities:

• Evidence and knowledge development: Conducting research and gathering data to inform best practices and improve gender-based violence response strategies.
• Building a strong accreditation pathway: Establishing professional standards and accreditation pathways for social workers specializing in gender-based violence case management.
• Case management system strengthening: Improving the infrastructure, resources and coordination of gender-based violence case management services.
• Quality monitoring and accountability: Implementing mechanisms to monitor the quality of services and ensure accountability for outcomes. 
• Community engagement: Working with communities to raise awareness, prevent gender-based violence and promote accessibility to services.

These objectives will lead to increased and sustained accessible services for survivors of gender-based violence, while community engagement will also contribute to preventing gender-based violence and completing the pathway to deliver the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDG 5.3: End all forms of harmful practices and gender-based violence by 2030).

Updated 24 April 2025