Women at the Centre: Rising Up Against the Pandemic of Violence Against Women

Global programme to increase and sustain quality gender-based violence case management services

Women at the Centre, supported by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, is UNFPA’s first-ever global programme focused on increasing and sustaining the availability and accessibility of quality case management services for survivors of gender-based violence, particularly those from marginalized communities.

Nearly 1 in 3 women worldwide have been subjected to intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence or both at least once in their lifetime, according to 2021 data by the World Health Organization. Gender-based violence significantly impacts women and girls’ physical, mental and sexual and reproductive health, as well as their agency and decision-making capacity.

The impact is even greater for women and girls from marginalized groups – such as those with disabilities, Indigenous or rural women, and LGBTQI+ individuals – who face heightened risks and additional barriers to accessing protection and support services. This "silent pandemic" of gender-based violence demands immediate and effective action, including high-quality response when violence occurs.

Women at the Centre strives to institutionalize professional training and continuous professional development through accreditation pathways for the social service workforce, enabling them to deliver survivor-centred services that align with international guidance and best practices, and that empower women and girls in all their diversity.

The global programme is currently being rolled out in five countries: Azerbaijan, El Salvador, Indonesia, Madagascar and Zimbabwe.

What is gender-based violence case management?

Gender-based violence case management is a structured method for providing support by informing gender-based violence survivors of all available options for healing and recovery. The issues and challenges faced by a survivor are identified and addressed in a coordinated manner, and emotional support is provided throughout the process. Case management has become the primary entry point for survivors to receive crisis and longer-term psychosocial support.

Response mechanisms to gender-based violence in many countries are often insufficient, lacking coordination, funding and human resources to adequately address this human rights violation.

Typically, where there is investment in gender-based violence case management, it is currently focused on increased access to health and legal services rather than supporting comprehensive case management that addresses the holistic needs of a survivor. In addition, current gender-based violence case management standards and practices often do not focus on specific knowledge, attitudes and skills needed to adapt services for marginalized survivors, leaving social workers without sufficient capacity to assist these individuals.

The lack of professional recognition/accreditation and continuing education in many countries is a disincentive to maintaining an adequate national body of social workers equipped to meet international standards of care for survivors of violence.

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