Hanna Smit
With a background in humanitarianism and social development, Hanna provides technical and research expertise to SDDirect’s Gender-Based Violence and Safeguarding portfolios.
Gender-Based Violence
Our role on GBV prevention and response
Our global Gender-Based Violence (GBV) team provides strategic technical support to actors across the GBV ecosystem from donors to community-level women-led organisations. We are a multi-disciplinary team delivering programme design and implementation support, advocacy, research reports, MEL and helpdesk services.
Our team aspires to apply our feminist principles in all our work and to support sustained and transformative change. We partner with diverse stakeholders and we take an intersectional approach to our work on GBV prevention and response across development and humanitarian contexts.
Our work includes primary prevention programming, community-level response to GBV and SEAH, school-related GBV, GBV in Emergencies, Technology-Facilitated GBV, Violence against LGBTQI+ communities, and GBV in Climate and Economic programming.
Read more about our current work or search our extensive GBV Resource Library below.
Further Resources on GBV Prevention and Response
Joint evaluation of the UN Joint Programme on Aids on preventing and responding to violence against women and girls
Assessing the Joint Programme's accountability to end Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and address the bi-directional nature of VAWG and HIV (where VAWG can be an indirect/direct factor for increased HIV risk, and HIV status and disclosure can lead to violence).
Harnessing Technology to Prevent, Mitigate and Respond to Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies (GBViE)
This guidance note aims to build knowledge and understanding on technology's use and impact on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) programming in humanitarian settings. It identifies good practices, lessons and challenges in using technology within the GBV research community.
Prevention of, and Response to, Gender-Based Violence in Settings Affected by Natural Disasters
This guidance note offers an introduction to how disasters are likely to increase as a result of climate change and the disproprotionate effect they have on women, particularly in terms of increasing their vulnerability to GBV. It highlights lessons from disasters in Asia and Pacific region on how to improve GBV preparedness, response and recovery.
Maria Vlahakis
Maria is part of the Gender-based Violence (GBV) team at SDDirect.
Kate Bishop
As Co-Director of the Technical Team, Kate provides strategic and operational leadership across SDDirect’s gender equality and social inclusion portfolios, with particular oversight for Gender Based Violence, Safeguarding, Equal Education and Child Protection.
Annotated Bibliography of Arabic Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies Resources
Annotated bibliography of Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies (GBViE) Resources, produced in Arabic.
Responding to Violence Against Women and Girls with Diverse Sexual Orientations, Gender Identities, and Expressions
Annotated bibliography on how to respond to Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions.
Learning Brief 3: Implications of Technology Facilitated Gender-Based Violence and Actions for Key Stakeholders
This third learning brief looks at some of the wider implications of technology facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), and offers recommendations for key stakeholders, including humanitarian agencies, donors and online industries, on priority actions to take to prevent and respond to TFGBV.
Meet the GBV Team
As Co-Director of the Technical Team, Kate provides strategic and operational leadership across SDDirect’s gender equality and social inclusion portfolios, with particular oversight for Gender Based…
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Natasha is a Technical Specialist in SDDirect’s Gender-based Violence portfolio, where she provides technical and research expertise, including as a researcher on the Ending Violence…
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Tina provides technical advice and leadership to SDDirect's work in the field of Gender Based Violence (GBV) prevention. She helps to ensure that the work of in-house staff and consultants is…
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Erika provides technical advice and leadership to SDDirect’s work on gender-based violence (GBV). She has over twenty years of experience of working to prevent and respond to violence in a…
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Jo Feather is Associate Director and Principal Consultant in the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Portfolio. She has been working in gender and social development…
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Amanda provides technical advice and leadership to SDDirect's work in the field of Gender Based Violence (GBV) prevention and response as part of SDDirect’s GBV Portfolio team. She is the Country Co-…
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Clare joined SDDirect as a Principal Consultant in the Gender-Based Violence team, with a specialism in GBV in Emergencies. She has a wealth of experience in NGOs, consultancy, donor governments and…
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Gemma Ferguson is a Principal Consultant in the GBV team. She brings two decades of experience working at the intersection of media and social development, with a special focus on gender, social…
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Joanne leads SDDirect’s Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Emergencies work. She is a senior member of the GBV portfolio and Director of the GBV AoR Helpdesk: a research and advice service for…
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Lusungu provides technical advice and leadership to SDDirect's work in the field of Gender Based Violence (GBV) prevention as part of SDDirect’s GBV Portfolio team. She is the Country Co-Lead for SDD…
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Maria is part of the Gender-based Violence (GBV) team at SDDirect. She is a social inclusion and gender equality professional with strong feminist values, specialising in violence against women and…
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Naomi is a Senior Technical Specialist with experience conducting research, managing projects, engaging in policy, advocacy and influencing, and providing technical assistance. She works with a range…
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Veronica Ahlenback is a Technical Specialist in SDDirect’s Gender-based Violence portfolio. She is particularly interested in Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) approaches in GBV focused…
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With a background in humanitarianism and social development, Hanna provides technical and research expertise to SDDirect’s Gender-Based Violence and Safeguarding portfolios. As the GBV AoR…
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