United States’ new plan to address global GBV

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a visit to Romania on November 29, 2022. He says the US government in collaboration with its agency for International Development will set up the ‘Safe from the Start ReVisioned’ initiative.


Photo credit: Photo | AFP

What you need to know:

  • The US has committed to launch global initiatives that will address violence against women and girls.
  • The US government in collaboration with its agency for International Development will set up the ‘Safe from the Start ReVisioned’ initiative.

In commemoration of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the United Sates has committed to launch global initiatives that will address various forms of violence against women and girls.

A press statement released by the United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, says the US government in collaboration with its agency for International Development will set up the ‘Safe from the Start ReVisioned’ initiative.

The intervention is an improvement on the ‘Safe from Start’ project formulated by the Obama administration in 2013.

Originally, it was intended to protect survivors and those at-risk at the onset of emergencies as oppressed to afterthought response efforts.

In the future, the program is expected to prevent, mitigate and respond to gender-based violence in humanitarian emergencies.

Further, the US has pledged to release an action-oriented update to the US Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally. This will set out its government’s priorities for ending gender-based violence (GBV) around the world.

The global interventions come in response to heightened cases on gender-based violence in humanitarian crises.

According to the US Secretary of State, one in three women and girls will experience sexual or physical violence in their lifetimes, and 70 per cent of women experience gender-based violence in humanitarian contexts.

White House Taskforce

“Even though women were on the frontline of the response, the Covid-19 pandemic has led to unimaginable setbacks for women and girls, including greatly enhanced risk of child, early, and forced marriage for millions of young girls, and spikes in intimate-partner and sexual violence,’’ Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US ambassador to the United Nations also said in a statement.

To address increasing incidents of GBV, the US will also continue to work with the Global Partnership for Action on Gender-Based Online Harassment and Abuse, and the White House Taskforce to Address Online Harassment and Abuse to combat the emergent form of GBV.

The new plans solidify US’ commitment to stand against GBV both domestically and around the globe.

“On this important day (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women), the US continues to stand in solidarity with the brave women and girls, both domestically and around the globe, who fight daily to live a life free from the destructive threat of violence,” part of Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield’s statement reads.