UNODC and UN Women have joined forces to improve data collection through the Statistical framework for measuring the gender-related killing of women and girls (also referred to as “femicide/feminicide”). We have seen some signs of improvement: 99 countries had at least one data point on female intimate partner/ family-related homicide in the period 2016-2022, up from 74 countries in 2009-2015. But more support is required, especially for developing countries which lack the funding and capacities to improve femicide reporting and responses, in line with commitments to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Some 47,000 women and girls worldwide were killed by their intimate partners or other family members in 2020. This means that, on average, a woman or girl is killed by someone in her own family every 11 minutes. Where trends can be calculated, they show that the magnitude of such gender-related killings remains largely unchanged, however, with only marginal increases and decreases over the past decade.
Every 10 minutes, partners and family members killed a woman intentionally in 2023. Gender-related killings (femicide/feminicide) are the most brutal and extreme manifestation of violence against women and girls.
Violence against women and girls remains one of the least prosecuted and punished crimes in the world. It is “still so deeply embedded in cultures around the world that it is almost invisible,” says the UN, describing it as “a construct of power and a means of maintaining the status-quo”. Indeed, its prevalence has desensitised people to the alarming reality – and the fact that far too often, violence against women and girls in all its various forms, ends in femicide.
More than two decades later, and despite the efforts of women’s rights movements to demand justice and accountability, as well as some notable progress in preventing and responding to violence against women and girls, significant challenges persist in fully addressing the issue. We are alarmed that the number of killings by family members and intimate partners – the most common manifestation of femicide – remains at staggering levels globally. Some 51,100 women and girls were killed at home by people closely related to them in 2023, accounting for 60 per cent of all female homicides. In too many cases, victims of femicide had previously reported violence and their killings could have been prevented.
The damaging, pervasive and life-long impacts of sexual assault for survivors/victims are well documented (see, for example, Quadara, 2015). Responses to sexual violence have evolved as the nature and complexities of this type of violence has become better understood, particularly in light of the ways sexual victimisation is associated with the physical and mental health of sexual assault survivors (Quadara, 2015; Dworkin & Shumacher, 2016). Alongside research, practitioners across a diversity of sectors and services have identified the prevalence of trauma histories among service users, and particularly, the need for services that come in contact with sexual assault survivors to adopt trauma-informed care and practice (TICP) (Quadara, 2015).
The way that a child or young person experiences or understands death, the meaning they make of it, can result in it being experienced as traumatic. The trauma gets in the way of the typical process of grief and blocks the child or young person’s ability to process the loss. This can result in difficulties that can be severe and long lasting. Traumatic bereavement may be easily missed or misunderstood, meaning that children’s difficulties are not recognised. It is vital that these children are identified and given appropriate help and support.
This animation introduces concepts that are key to understanding traumatic bereavement. It communicates evidence-based information from the UK Trauma Council, sharing our current understanding of the impact of traumatic bereavement on children and young people.
Schools and communities around the country will be impacted by the loss of life associated with the war in Iraq. The effects may be significant for some people because of their emotional closeness to the war and/or their concern over terrorism. How school personnel handle the resulting distress can help shape the immediate and longer-term grieving process for students, staff, and families. Children, in particular, will need the love and support of their teachers and parents to cope with their loss and reach constructive grief resolution.
Children who have experienced the traumatic death of a person significant in their lives may have reactions and symptoms that we are beginning to understand are distinct from the grief following nontraumatic death. We believe that children who have experienced traumatic grief and who are troubled by overwhelming traumatic memories can be identified and helped to cope with traumatic reactions and ultimately remember the person who died in a healthy, meaningful way.
While everyone grieves differently, there are some behaviors and emotions commonly expressed by children depending on their developmental level. No matter how old a child is, it can be helpful to read through each of the age ranges, as there are times when a six year old asks a complex, big picture question and those when a teenager is struggling to find a physical outlet for their grief. We hope this information will help with understanding how grief affects children and teens across the developmental span.
The Principles on Effective Interviewing for Investigations and Information Gathering or the “Méndez Principles” aim to modify police practices by replacing coercive interrogations with rapport-based interviews. Based on science, law, and ethics, the Méndez Principles propose a concrete alternative to interrogation methods that rely on coercion to extract confessions. They improve the results of investigations, fully respect human rights and enhance trust in the State. Here you can also download The Principles in 15 different languages.
PeaceWomen is the Women, Peace and Security Programme of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), the oldest women’s peace organization in the world. We work for feminist peace by strengthening women’s meaningful participation, transforming gendered power, and bridging local gender conflict analysis with global efforts to implement a holistic WPS Agenda.
The Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda, launched with UNSC Resolution 1325 in 2000, has expanded into a comprehensive framework with ten resolutions. These resolutions, developed over the years through persistent civil society advocacy, address issues from local to global levels, empowering intergovernmental bodies and grassroots movements to advance gender equality, prevent violence, and promote peace. The WPS resolutions include 1325, 1820, 1888, 1889, 1960, 2106, 2122, 2242, 2467, and 2493, forming a vital foundation for action in the pursuit of peace and security for women worldwide. Here you will find a overview over the the main content of the resolutions. Read about each of the WPS resolutions or find translations in your language.
Anxiety is a normal reaction to stressful situations like taking a test or giving a presentation. Anxiety can be beneficial as it helps increase your focus and keeps you alert for danger when the situation warrants it. However, when feelings of fear or distress become overwhelming, their intensity is out of proportion to the situation, or they interfere with daily activities, it could indicate an anxiety disorder.
Depression is more than just a passing blue mood, a “bad day,” or temporary sadness. The most common symptom is a low mood that can sometimes appear as irritability. Often the person with depression is not able to enjoy activities that he or she normally enjoys.
Humanitarian emergencies cause widespread suffering, affecting people’s mental health and psychosocial well-being. Affected populations experience a range of stressors that can have both immediate and long-term consequences. These include exposure to violence, separation from or loss of loved ones, poor living conditions, poverty, food insecurity, loss of livelihoods and means of survival, physical injuries and illnesses, and a lack of access to services such as health care, education and social care. The MHPSS MSP is a resource for humanitarian actors. The goal of the MSP is contributing to reduced suffering and improved mental health and psychosocial well-being among populations affected by humanitarian crises.
In addition to the MHPSS MP website, you can download the manual in different languages: English, Ukrainian, Arabic, French, Bulgarian, Polish
Returning children face many challenges including settling back into their families; re-enrolling in school; healing from trauma they may have experienced before, during, or after migration; and obtaining the resources to plan for a safer, brighter future. Through our program, returning children receive case management support, psychosocial, educational, and other critical services they- and their families- need to safely reintegrate. KIND’s reintegration services are gender-sensitive, trauma-informed, and culturally and linguistically responsive.
The publication focuses on the mental health needs of refugees and migrants by providing an overview of the available evidence on patterns of risk and protective factors and of facilitators and barriers to care at all levels (individual, family, community and national government). It identifies five high-level themes, each of which has implications for research and policy and is relevant across refugee and migrant groups, contexts and stages of the migration process: self-identity and community support; basic needs and security; cultural concepts of mental health as well as stigma; exposure to adversity and potentially traumatic events; navigating mental health and other systems and services.
Refugee children face numerous adverse experiences both pre and post-migration, including traumatic events, travelling long distances under dangerous circumstances, complex legal procedures and hostile refugee policies in the host country, social, cultural and language differences and discrimination during the resettlement process. Despite this, many refugee children display positive outcomes in the host country.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) forced migrants around the world report a history of multiple traumatic events across their lifespan. The range of events includes verbal, emotional, physical and sexual abuse and assault, harassment, shunning, spitting, discrimination in housing and employment, destruction of property, blackmail, forced prostitution, forced heterosexual marriage, ‘corrective rape and coerced sexual orientation conversion interventions. Those who from a young age are perceived by others as behaving in gender non-conforming ways are targeted starting in childhood
Violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people has been a staple of many armed conflicts and crises.1 But for governments and global institutions, persecution based on sexual orientation and gender identity in conflict and crisis settings has been a blind spot. Queer people are largely invisible at the United Nations Security Council and in atrocity prevention efforts, peacebuilding processes, and international justice.
It sounds scary, but there’s no need to be frightened by talking about suicidal thoughts. Many LGBTQ+ people think about taking their life at some point, even if they’ve never made any solid plans. It’s not uncommon, and if you’re here reading this, or thinking about talking to someone, then well done! It’s a great first step.
Recent decades have marked major advances for the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ+) people1 in many places, including the legalization of same-sex relations, legal recognition of gender identity on the basis of self-identification, better access to essential healthcare, restrictions on interventions on intersex minors, and increased protections against discrimination and hate crimes.
Supporting LGBTQ victims and survivors and being there for them as they navigate the complexities of life after trauma is a crucial aspect of collective healing. Whether you are part of the LGBTQ community or not, it remains vital to provide a safe and empathetic space for those whose paths may diverge from your own. Learn about ways to show your support for survivors within the LGBTQ community below.
Black LGBTQ+ young people hold multiple marginalised identities. Under the minority stress model, experiences of discrimination, rejection, threats, and violence are compounded, and can lead to negative mental health outcomes.
Many BIPOC LGBTQ+ young people are still facing difficult conversations with people who may be uninformed about race, queer identities, or the intersection of both. Intersectional conversations can take a variety of forms. Some are engaging their White friends for the first time about how being BIPOC impacts their experience in LGBTQ+ spaces, and others are opening up about the nuances of their queer experiences in BIPOC spaces. For people who hold multiple marginalized identities, it can sometimes feel overwhelming to explore the layers of these conversations with others — especially those whose lived experiences are different.
The Trevor Project offers several resources supporting the mental health of LGBTQ young people, including self-care guides and articles regarding mental wellness.
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The Human Rights Campaign is both saddened and infuriated by the deaths of at least 32 transgender and gender-expansive people whose lives have been tragically and inhumanely taken through violent means, including through gun and interpersonal violence, in 2023. Since 2013, the Human Rights Campaign has tracked incidents of fatal transgender violence— the same year the Federal Bureau of Investigation began reporting on hate crimes motivated by anti-transgender bias— and providing action items that can help end the violence.
The Trevor Project focuses on crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTIQ youth but also works to promote understanding and inclusivity in educational and workplace settings.
PFLAG provides support, education, and advocacy to create an inclusive environment for LGBTIQ individuals in all aspects of life, including the workplace.
The HRC is one of the largest LGBTIQ advocacy groups and political lobbying organisations in the United States. They publish the Corporate Equality Index, which rates workplaces on their LGBTIQ policies and practices.
This organisation focuses on achieving workplace equality for LGBTIQ individuals and provides resources, training, and advocacy to help companies create inclusive environments.
his manual is designed to orient helpers to offer psychological first aid (PFA) to people following a serious crisis event. PFA involves humane, supportive and practical assistance for people who are distressed, in ways that respect their dignity, culture and abilities.
General Guidelines for Addressing Mental Health Needs in the School Environment Psychological First Aid (PFA) is an evidence-informed approach for assisting children, adolescents, adults, and families in the immediate aftermath of a stressful life event, such as a disaster, school crisis, or emergency. PFA is designed to reduce the initial distress caused by traumatic events and to foster short and long-term adaptive functioning.
This is a guide designed to help the reader to understand more about PTSD. As well as a description of trauma, symptoms of PTSD, and effective treatments, this guide explores key maintenance factors for PTSD including: unprocessed memories, beliefs about trauma and its consequences, and coping strategies including avoidance. Written in a friendly and explanatory way, this guide is a comprehensive source of information for those with PTSD (and their friends and family). The concepts are explained in an easily digestible manner, with case examples and accessible diagrams. Arabic and English .
The Multicultural Mental Health Resource Centre (MMHRC) seeks to improve the quality and availability of mental health services for people from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, including immigrants, refugees, and members of established ethnocultural communities. Addressing issues of language, culture, religion and other aspects of cultural diversity can promote greater equity in mental health care.
The links below provide mental health information in Arabic. These documents – easy to download – are intended for individuals interested in learning more about mental health and ways of improving emotional well being.
The IFRC is deeply concerned about protection and humanitarian assistance for children on the move. This is heighted by data that shows the number of children on the move, including unaccompanied and separated children, has grown substantially in the past decade.7 There are an estimated 50,000 million children on the move worldwide.8 Whether they are labelled as “migrants”, “refugees”, “displaced persons”, “trafficked”, or “stateless” there are numerous threats that are be faced by girls and boys on the move in their home countries, in transit, and at their destination countries.
Additionally, you can find these resources in Arabic.
The ‘Communicating with children about death and helping children cope with grief’ resource provides guidance for adults on communicating with children about death and helping them cope with grief. Developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, it highlights how children of different ages experience loss and grief, how to talk to them about it and how to help them cope with loss during the pandemic and humanitarian emergencies.
Additionally, you can find these resources in different language:Arabic , English , French , Ukrainian , Spanish , Portuguese , Fulfulde , Swahili , Italian , Filipino , Russian , Indonesian , Hausa , Bengali , Turkish .
This one-pager can assist Red Cross Red Crescent staff and volunteers who work with Restoring Family Links (RFL), or giving support to people in need dealing with having a family member who is missing.
Additionally, you can find these resources in different language: French, Arabic, Greek
This one-pager can assist Red Cross Red Crescent staff and volunteers who work with Restoring Family Links (RFL), or giving support to people in need; navigating having a family member who is missing.
Additionally, you can find these resources in different language: Arabic, French, Greek.
Key Message Bank for those Caring for Children and Adolescents. In both English and Arabic languages,
World Vision International and IFRC Reference Centre for Psychosocial Support launched a Child Friendly Space (CFS) Toolkit in 2017. This set of activity cards is selected and adapted from the existing CFS Activity Catalogue that promotes children and their families’ psychosocial well-being during COVID-19. The activity cards are designed especially for children who are in lockdown or have limited access to school and recreational programming. All of the activities can be done individually or with a small group of 2 to 3 people at home or in any suitable place.
Additionally, you can find these resources in different languages: Arabic, Somali, Farsi, Tigrinya, Norwegian, French, Malay, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish.
Reduce stress, recharge and build inner resilience. Humanitarians and people working in helping professions need to take care of themselves in order not to burn out and to be effective in their work. The well-being guide: reduce stress, recharge and build inner resilience is for individual self-care, and for peers and teams who work together. Each section can be tested or incorporated within regular meetings with a focus on caring for the carers. The exercises in this guide are for all humanitarian staff, volunteers and for recipients of mental health and psychosocial support services. If practised and used regularly, this catalogue of tried and practised tools can regulate stress, calm when distressed, promote sleep, and strengthen inner resilience.
Additionally, these resources can be found in different languages: Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, Ukrainian, Bosnian, French and English.
It is very difficult to say goodbye if a loved one has passed away. It is even more difficult and challenging if it was impossible to be present in the final days or attend services and burial ceremonies. When people die suddenly for example due to a natural disaster, their loved ones may not be able to be with them in their final moments to say goodbye and express their love and respect. In such circumstances, those left behind may feel intense sadness, pain, remorse, and guilt or may even lose the ability to go about their daily lives. In cases where it is not possible to be near the body of a loved one, there are some things to do to say goodbye in a humane and respectful way. These four actions can ease the agonizing grief of the loss and honor the memory of those who have lost their lives.
Additionally, these resources can be found in different languages: Arabic, Ukrainian and Turkish and English.
Psychological torture, including methods without visible marks (sleep deprivation, solitary confinement, and threats, stealth torture), is rising. Documenting these methods poses challenges. Lawyers and health professionals need interdisciplinary tools for better documentation alongside existing frameworks like the Istanbul Protocol. This article outlines methodology for developing additional instruments to document psychological torture, focusing on the Sleep Deprivation Protocol. We give thanks to Torture Journal’s for the permission to republish and reprint the three protocols that were first published individually in the journal.
The Caring for Child Survivors of Sexual Abuse (CCS) Guidelines (Second Edition, December 2023) offers an up-to-date global technical guidance on providing a model of quality care for children and families affected by sexual abuse in humanitarian settings. These Guidelines are a revision of the 2012 CCS Guidelines (First Edition). They include both revised and content additions based on practitioner feedback, the most recent evidence and learning. The new Guidelines aim to bring a stronger focus on gender inequality, intersectionality, as well as the connections between the best interests of the child and a survivor-centered approach.
These guidelines reflect the insights of practitioners from different geographic regions, disciplines and sectors, and reflect an emerging consensus on good practice among practitioners. The core idea behind them is that, in the early phase of an emergency, social supports are essential to protect and support mental health and psychosocial well-being. In addition, the guidelines recommend selected psychological and psychiatric interventions for specific problems.
This manual, developed by UNESCO and the International Institute of Humanitarian Law, provides guidance for educators on preparing children and schools for crisis situations. It includes strategies for promoting mental well-being and resilience among students and staff.
he Sphere Handbook provides a set of minimum standards for humanitarian response, including standards related to mental health and psychosocial support. It emphasizes the importance of preparedness and prevention measures to address the psychosocial impacts of crises.
UNICEF has developed a framework that outlines principles and strategies for providing mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian settings. It includes recommendations for preparedness and prevention activities aimed at promoting the well-being of individuals and communities.
Developed by Mercy Corps, this guide offers practical tools and methodologies for integrating resilience-building approaches into humanitarian programming. It emphasizes the importance of addressing psychosocial and mental health needs as part of resilience-building efforts.
Produced by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), this manual provides a framework for implementing community-based psychosocial support programs. It focuses on building community resilience and fostering social support networks to enhance mental well-being before, during, and after crises
This action plan outlines strategies for promoting mental health and well-being, including preparedness and prevention measures. It emphasizes the importance of integrating mental health into public health and emergency response frameworks.
Dear survivor and those of you who are close to a survivor. Having one’s human rights violated can lead to painful short and/or long-term physical and/or psychological consequences. In the following you can find information and resources that we hope will be of help to take the first steps to move on in life.
It is increasingly clear that wartime deployment is a family matter. Almost half of today’s active duty forces are parents, and continuing hostilities in Iraq and Afghanistan ensure that growing numbers of military families will experience repeated cycles of separation in a context of danger that may span across years of each family’s development. Research conducted since the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) in Iraq point to the strain that wartime deployment places on families, as gauged by a broad range of indicators.
Resilience is the ability to cope with, adapt to, and overcome challenges. With resiliency training, children and families learn not just to meet challenges but also to become stronger in the face of challenges. Developed by a UCLA-Harvard team, FOCUS teaches Military children and families to understand their emotional reactions, communicate more clearly, solve problems more effectively, and set and achieve their goals. Parents and children—from preschoolers to teens—learn to use tools that will aid in their everyday interactions and help them become a more complete and functional family.
The webpage that provided resources related to veteran and military suicide prevention. It likely contains information, support services, and resources aimed at preventing suicide among veterans and active-duty military personnel. These resources may include hotlines, support groups, counseling services, educational materials, and other tools designed to help individuals in crisis or those who may be struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health issues.