Gender-based violence research initiatives in refugee, internally displaced, and post-conflict settings

Gender-based violence (GBV) warrants research in any circumstance in which it is perpetrated. Yet, there is a paucity of GBV research published about refugee, internally displaced (IDP) and post-conflict populations. Therefore, this project was designed to identify and analyze GBV studies, with a view to the conditions under which they were conducted, their strengths and limitations, and their impact on international and local programming. For these purposes, loosely structured qualitative interviews were conducted with local, international, and UN organization personnel. In addition, focus groups were held with refugee and IDP populations in Azerbaijan, Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The GBV research studies identified during site visits served various purposes including program planning, outreach, and advocacy. Their methodologies ranged from simple ad hoc polling to complex surveys, incorporating quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method designs. Although the definitions of violence and methodologies varied, preventing comparisons across study sites, the initiatives provide evidence that GBV research is occurring on various scales in refugee, IDP and post-conflict settings. Continued and improved research is much needed, particularly involving local NGOs. Minor adjustments in research design and implementation could greatly enhance the generalizability, validity, and comparability of the findings. One adjustment advocated in this report is the utilization of a standardized questionnaire and research protocol, in order to facilitate the design and implementation of high quality GBV research in multiple refugee, IDP, and post-conflict settings.