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CRS/PAKISTAN

Refugee Assistance Program

Section 1. Executive Summary

Submitting Agency: Catholic Relief Services Date: 30 April 2008

CRS Contacts - HQ: Peter Constable Field: Darren Hercyk


CRS South Asia Public Resources Country Representative
228 West Lexington Street House 8, Street 60
Baltimore, MD 21201-3413 F-7/4 Islamabad, Pakistan
+1 410 951 7255 +92-51-287-3226
pconstable@crs.org dhercyk@crspk.org

Project Title: From Response to Prevention: Addressing Gender-Based Violence in


Afghan Communities
Country: Pakistan
Project Location: Province of Balochistan – Camp Settlement in District Pishin
Target Population: Direct: 150 individuals 1 Indirect: 35,000 Afghan refugees
Timeframe: 12 months (Proposed starting date: 15 September 2008)
Total Amount Project Budget: USD 186,553
Total Amount Requested from BPRM: USD 174,515
Total CRS Share: USD 12,038

Executive Summary: Gender based violence (GBV) in Balochistan is a pervasive,


destructive, and deep-seeded phenomenon, especially for Afghan refugees. With roots in
culture, custom, and socio-economic inequalities, GBV represents one of the most complex,
sensitive, and disruptive constraints to genuine human and economic development within
the region. Under the proposed project, CRS will undertake a two-fold approach to address
gender-based violence among Afghan refugees in Balochistan: by responding to existing
GBV through the strengthening of existing local institutions to provide an appropriate and
timely response to GBV cases; and by preventing future GBV through the raising of
awareness amongst the target beneficiary community, with a special focus on men.

Section 2. Problem Analysis

A. Background
Across Pakistan, girls and women are extremely vulnerable to gender-based violence. This
includes, though is not limited to: rape, acid attacks, physical and emotional abuse by
family members, honor killings, trade of young girls to settle disagreements, and the selling
of young girls into marriage for a bride price. 2 While these human rights violations are
perpetuated by individuals, the Pakistan government tacitly condones them by failing to
provide an effective legal and justice system that would remove the present discriminatory

1
This figure includes an estimated 30 women for support and referral; up to 20 men and women key influential
leaders; 50 core group members; and at least 55 trained staff (ILAC and GBV providers).
2
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, 'State of Human Rights in 1997'.
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Hudood Ordinances3 and actively address domestic violence – the most prevalent form of
abuse against women in Pakistan.

Gender based violence is a particularly acute problem in the Province of Balochistan,


Pakistan's least developed province where maternal mortality rates (650 per 100,000 live
births) are nearly twice the national average and female literacy rates (15%) are less than
half the national average of 33%.

Afghan refugee women in Balochistan are especially vulnerable to gender based violence
due to their dependent and low economic, legal and traditional status. Of the estimated
three million Afghan refugees currently in Pakistan, over 760,000 reside in the province of
Balochistan, in camps and urban semi-permanent settlements in Quetta, Loralai and Pishin.
The Afghan refugee population as a whole is extremely vulnerable, due to their uncertain
legal status, constrained economic opportunities, and their initial displacement from a war
torn country – conditions which render even the most basic services more difficult for them
to access.

Efforts by the Balochistan Provincial Government and the international NGO community to
prevent and respond to GBV have been halting and largely ineffective. In Pakistan’s main
cities, such as Lahore and Karachi, shelter homes and other services to support survivors of
gender based violence have been established; however, the Balochistan government’s
support is currently limited to an understaffed and overworked crisis management center –
a place where women are expected to seek respite for several hours before returning home
(without any opportunity for counseling), and a shelter home with a ‘prison-like’ reputation
– once a woman enters the shelter home, it is virtually impossible for her to ever leave
without risking death.

B. Analysis

In order to assess the most critical needs, vulnerabilities, and capacities related to the
prevention of, and response to, gender based violence among the Afghan refugee
community in Balochistan, CRS conducted an extensive assessment with internal and
external stakeholders, including conversations with local organizations and focus-group
discussions with Afghan refugee women. Under its Information and Legal Assistance
Center (ILAC) project, CRS provides legal rights awareness and support against unlawful
arrests or detentions to Afghan refugees. Over the past three years, CRS staff have
repeatedly come across cases of gender-based violence, including domestic physical and
emotional violence, but have only been able to directly address cases of family matters in
which the women involved were accompanied by male relatives.4 All cases of violence
highlight the marginalized status of women in society and the crucial need to strengthen
preventive measures and response mechanisms to GBV.

In focus group discussions with Afghan refugee women, 5 the forms of violence committed
against them and other girls and women in their community were described as: regular
physical and emotional abuse; forced marriage of young girls; marriage for retribution or
compensation; abandonment by their husband (‘missing husbands’); forceful removal of
their children following second marriages; excessive workloads; and restricted access to
reproductive health facilities. Women expressed the need for more support in facing these
issues and for a safe space where they could discuss their feelings and difficulties. They
also highlighted the importance of the support of other men – for example, women wanted
'someone' to talk to abusive men and negotiate a safe space for them. A few women said
3
In 1973, the Hudood Ordinances, changed the law of rape and adultery and made fornication a crime for the first
time in the country's history; the Qanun-e-Shahadat Order (Law of Evidence Order) relegates women to inferior legal
status and, in some circumstances, renders the testimony of a woman equal to only half the weight of a man's.
4
Cases addressed include divorce, missing husbands, and custody of children (kidnapping of children by men).
5
CRS’ gender technical advisor conducted a series of focus group discussions with Afghan refugee women in Quetta

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that they would leave their situation if they had the right support structure and alternative
options, including shelter and an opportunity to earn an income. However, access to
services is limited for women in general, and even more so, for Afghan refugee women in
Balochistan.

Limited access to support services for victims of gender based violence: Given
women’s restricted mobility, it is difficult, if not impossible, for them to seek support
outside their home or community without accompaniment from a male relative or
community member. Even if a woman is able to overcome her mobility constraints, there
are limited options for obtaining support or referrals to health centers, police, legal aid or
counseling. Aside from one shelter home and a crisis management centre, there are
currently no support services available in Quetta for victims of gender-based violence.

Additionally, Afghan women’s refugee status and displacement make it even more difficult
for them to access any sort of legal or social services, and their lack of ties with the world
outside their settlements further limits their access to existing services in other cities or to
areas far from their current place of residence.

Limited capacity of existing support services: Where women are able to overcome
restrictions on physical access to available services, they face very poor quality support
that often further exacerbates their suffering. The ‘support that is available to women
facing violence within camps and settlements tends to be from the male tribal leaders, who
are steeped in tribal traditions and practices. In some cases, these informal customary
systems for addressing violence against women have proven dangerous. 6

The formal government support structures currently available do not even begin to address
the multi-dimensional support which survivors of gender based violence require, and are
often biased in support of traditional beliefs and customs, which further harm abused
women. The crisis management center, where women flee to find support, provides no
opportunity for counseling or mediation and forces women to return home after 8-hour
period. Afghan refugee women have emphasized that they need a safe space where they
could talk about their situation and feelings. Further, they are convinced that having
‘someone’ to talk to and negotiate with the men would be critically important.

Social Attitudes and Acceptance of Gender Based Violence: Common attitudes


towards both women and masculinity result in widespread acceptance of gender based
violence by both men and women within Afghan refugee communities. Tradition and
customs, transferred from Afghanistan and affirmed within the Balochistan context,
promote the norm of women as property. It is a commonly held belief that women are to be
protected, bought, sold, or treated as a commodity; and, furthermore, women should be
bound by the norms established by men in the household, be it their husband, brother, or
father. Many Afghan women themselves believe that if a woman steps out of the
boundaries established in her household, she is responsible for the ensuing violence.

Another important element within the Afghan community is the strong sense of masculinity
and the need for its affirmation within the household. This affirmation is exacerbated
amongst men who are disempowered and frustrated by the limited employment options
they face and their own refugee status. Many men seek to assert their dominance through
violence and control over women. Research has shown that when boys are given
alternative role models, and develop more flexible visions on manhood, they are more
respectful and less violent towards women. 7 Afghan refugee men, however, have almost
universally been deprived of the opportunity to express themselves non-violently; to

6
In Balochistan, examples of decisions by tribal leaders include: raped women have been forced to marry the rapist
and in some documented instances, the rapist’s female relatives have been raped in retribution.
7
UNIFEM, Fact sheet no.5 Masculinity and Gender Based Violence

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acquire the skills to express themselves through alternative means; or to reflect on their
own responsibilities and the benefits of living in domestic harmony.

In order to initiate any process of change with respect to gender-based violence, be it for
prevention or for response, men’s involvement as participants and leaders will be critical.

C. Profile of the Target Population

The proposed target population will be the women, men and children Afghan refugees
residing in the Old Saranam camp. The total population of the target area is approximately
35,000 people, mainly from the Pashtun tribe, and the majority is officially registered as
refugees. The camp is located in Pishin District, roughly 40 km away from Quetta.

The proximity to CRS’ existing ILAC center, and CRS’ existing relationship and trust with this
community through ongoing legal assistance, will facilitate initial GBV-focused outreach
initiatives. In addition, CRS has prioritized this camp due to: 1) Higher number of GBV
cases reported from this camp than other refugee communities, as per ILAC records; 2)
High number of Afghan refugees in the camp registered with Pakistan government; and 3)
4) Relative stability of population residing in this camp settlement. Furthermore, existing
research shows that, within Afghan communities, gender-based violence is particularly
severe amongst the Pashtun tribe which is dominant in the target camp. Given the fluid
situation with refugee status and the sensitivity of GBV, CRS reserves the right to revisit the
specific targeting of Old Saranam at the start of project.

D. Need

Current actors working against gender-based violence in Pakistan and specifically in


Balochistan include government and non-governmental actors. The key government/NGO
collaboration focuses on response: the government-supported and managed Crisis
Management Center in Quetta is currently supported by a three-year initiative funded by
Oxfam Netherlands and implemented by Rozan Organization (Pakistan organization
working on women’s issues) to build the capacity of government center staff for improved
response to GBV cases. Other organizations who are working against GBV in Balochistan
include the American Refugee Committee (ARC), Aurat Foundation, and the Society for
Empowering Human Resources (SEHER). Initiatives include provision of counseling, legal
aid, and referral mechanisms for health and other services. While some of these initiatives
specifically target the Afghan refugee community (ARC), outside of CRS’ Information and
Legal Assistance Center, the only other organization presently working in Old Saranam
Camp is Society, which is focusing on Community Development around water and basic
needs. CRS will coordinate with Society as well as other actors in nearby communities such
as the American Refugee Committee and Save the Children, to ensure complementarity of
initiatives.8

Based on the above analysis, a review of actors’ interventions and remaining gaps, CRS has
identified the most critical needs for addressing gender-based violence within the Afghan
refugee community in Pakistan as mobilizing and supporting men to protect their female
family members & relatives against GBV through:
- Increased access to support, counseling and mediation services
- Raised awareness among community leaders and community role models on GBV
- Provision of a space for mediation and discussion between Afghan refugee men, women
and children

8
ARC and Save the Children are working on New Saranam Camp, several kilomters from Old Saranam camp.

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- Building the capacity of and linkages between existing government and non-
governmental services to support victims of GBV

CRS has worked actively with Afghan refugee men and women since 2004 to provide them
legal services, to inform them about their rights, and to assist them in cases of unlawful
arrests or detentions. CRS’ ongoing activities have been successful through large-scale
community outreach programs to raise awareness about legal rights, and the provision of
legal counsel and advisory services. CRS also works with Afghan refugee women to
enhance their vocational and literacy skills and improve their income earning opportunities.
Female participants in all of these programs have repeatedly indicated the need for
counseling and support services in response to GBV. Through these various programs, CRS
has gained significant credibility and trust within the Afghan community, and is in a strong
position to work with the target communities on gender-based violence.

Section 3. Program Goals and Objectives

A. Program Goal

Goal: Afghan Refugee families in Balochistan are protected from gender-based violence

CRS is proposing a two-fold approach to address gender-based violence among Afghan


refugees in Balochistan: 1) strengthening existing local institutions - CRS ILAC centers and
referral mechanisms - to provide an appropriate and timely response to GBV cases; and 2)
raising awareness amongst the target beneficiary community, with a special focus on men,
to prevent gender-based violence. As part of a sustainability strategy, the project will
engage local leaders and provide them the knowledge, resources and linkages with existing
support structures, and will strengthen the existing institutional capacities to effectively
refer and counsel women. In order to ensure project impact within a one-year timeframe,
activities will be linked with CRS’ existing refugee legal assistance program and closely
coordinated with local authorities.

Goal: Afghan refugee families in Balochistan are protected from gender-


based violence

SO 1: Afghan Refugee families receive appropriate SO 2: Reduced acceptance of gender-based


and timely response services to gender-based violence within targeted Afghan refugee
violence. community.

IR 1.1: Local service IR 1.2: A mechanism IR 2.1: Core target IR 2.2: Key influential
providers have for service provision group discusses men and women in
improved capacity to and referral is in place causes and prevention target community are
recognize and respond & running of GBV within their raising issues against
to GBV cases. own families and GBV in their
community community

B. Indicators

The following indicators will be used to measure performance [see Annex A for Project
Framework]:
SO1: By EOP, 75% of survivors of GBV in target area have received psychosocial, medical,
legal, or any other form of support. [PRM indicator]
SO2: By EOP, 10% increase among target Afghan refugee community who agree that
domestic violence is detrimental to their community [impact]
IR 1.1: 90% of Afghan refugee families among target community who have used ILAC and
Community Center for direct support or referral and felt that it was comfortable, safe
and helpful [impact]

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IR 1.2: 30% increase in Afghan refugees who can be supported by ILAC Center as a result of
the referral mechanism (as compared to SOP and previous years) [impact]
IR 2.1: 75% of trained participants identify incidents of GBV as constituting a violation of
rights [impact]
IR 2.2: At least 2 of community awareness events against GBV organized by key influential
men/women within target community [output]

Section 4. Program Description

A. Implementation Plan

To achieve increased protection from gender based violence for Afghan refugees in
Balochistan, CRS proposes two strategic objectives under this project, the first focusing on
response, and the second on prevention. [Please see Annex B for Project Implementation
Schedule]

Under Strategic Objective 1, CRS will focus on response to gender-based violence in the
target camp settlement by strengthening capacities and referral systems with other service
providers, and by establishing a community based-centre support to serve as a safe space
for addressing GBV issues.

Intermediate Result Local service providers have improved capacity to recognize


1.1: and respond to GBV cases.
The given context will require project staff – both Community Center staff and ILAC staff - to
work together in order to provide comprehensive assistance to male and female family
members of survivors of GBV through prevention and response initiatives. This will require
dialogue with individuals and groups on highly sensitive topics, sessions with key target
groups in the community that allow reflection on their own attitudes and behavior
regarding gender-based violence, support to key influential persons in raising awareness
against GBV, and community activities to boost community acceptance and support.

Output 1.1.1: Project staff have increased skills in recognizing and appropriately
responding to GBV cases.
ILAC staff are already trained on legal issues related to both civil and criminal cases, and
they have some experience with gender based violence. These skills will be strengthened
through specialized training on the different types of gender based violence, gender roles,
and issues related to responses to GBV. Further gender training will also enable them to
recognize their own biases when dealing with community members. Training topics will
focus on, but will not be limited to:
1) Different types of gender-based violence; gender roles; reflection on own biases
2) Ethical issues surrounding GBV cases – especially Confidentiality
3) Appropriate communication (including asking GBV survivors questions about violence in
sensitive ways)
4) Accurate & timely provision of appropriate referral options for women who request
further support

An intensive training series throughout the 12 months will be provided by an experienced


gender trainer and who has an in-depth understanding of the Afghan refugee community.
Select ILAC staff (five in the ILAC center located in target area) and all Specialized GBV staff
will all participate in the core training which will be a training-of-trainers. The core trainers
staff then be responsible to replicate the training series with other stakeholders, including
the ILAC outreach team. The design of the training series will be done jointly between CRS
and the trainer/consultant, in consultation with current ILAC staff.

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Illustrative Activities:
• Design and conduct training series to recognize and respond to GBV cases – joint
training series with Specialized GBV/ Community Center staff
• Training for project staff to handle GBV cases in community
• ToT duplicate training for all ILAC outreach workers (more than 20)

Output 1.1.2: Specialized GBV staff have improved capacity to provide comprehensive
counseling, mediation and referral services, with an emphasis on legal and protection
issues.
To address current gaps in essential linkages between counseling, mediation, referral
services, and legal options, CRS will organize a series of trainings and workshops for both
internal and external GBV actors on the provision of an effective continuum of care for GBV
victims and survivors. Trainings will highlight the linkages between identification,
counseling, and referral to specialized services. A special emphasis will be placed on the
legal protection options for GBV survivors and the essential role of community mediation
and intervention- two of CRS Quetta’s current core competencies. Trainings will be opened
to all like-minded local GBV actors interested in strengthening their staff capacity on
protection. A printed informational packet will be developed and distributed at these
trainings.

Illustrative Activities:
• Training(s) on protection issues related to GBV
• Development of protection information packets

Intermediate Result A mechanism for service provision and referral is in place &
1.2: running
To date, CRS ILAC centers have primarily handled repatriation, harassment, and the
unlawful detention of Afghan refugees. However, they have also handled fifty-three
recorded cases of GBV and are constantly encountering the issue when talking to women.
Current staff at the ILAC center located in the target area include one lawyer and five
outreach workers.

Output 1.2.1: Community center established for counseling, recreational and training
activities.
A community center for counseling, mediation services, training activities, and other
recreational activities (as prioritized by the community) will be established within the target
community. The key aim of this center is to provide a ‘neutral space’ where families feel
safe to seek direct support for counseling, family mediation, and find information and
referral to other services such as legal and medical aid. The center will also be a place for
community training and discussion sessions. It is crucial that this be a ‘neutral’ and ‘safe’
space that is easily accessible by the entire community. Therefore, physical proximity to
households, as well as gender-appropriate staff to ensure neutrality and confidentiality, are
all vital.

The center will be overseen by the Project Field Coordinator, and day-to-day management
will be the responsibility of the Community Center Coordinator. The Center will be staffed
by one female and one male counselor to provide individual counseling and family
mediation, two outreach workers to receive and refer cases, and two trainers whose
primary responsibility will be to design and lead community trainings (with external
technical support as required). Counselors and community mobilizers will seek to reach out
to men, encouraging them to participate in counseling and mediation and to support their
female family members who are experiencing gender-based violence.

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CRS will work with community leaders to develop a Community Center Code of Conduct for
both 1) quality of service provided by Center staff, and 2) protocol for community members
to utilize the Center services.

Illustrative Activities:
• Hiring counselors or persons trained to provide psychological support.
• Recreational activities for community members (men, women and children)
• Design of Community Center Code of Conduct (Agreement with community)

Output 1.2.2: Local service providers have established an effective referral system
At the Community Center, CRS staff will provide direct service in the form of counseling,
mediation, information dissemination and training. Staff will also provide appropriate
referrals to other existing GBV services. For legal aid requests, CRS will refer cases to the
ILAC center; for medical requests or needs, CRS will refer cases to the nearest civil hospital
or independent health care providers; CRS will coordinate with local organizations such as
Aurat Foundation and SEHER to link women requesting government crisis management
center and shelter home support.

Illustrative Activities:
• Creation of a referral system to counseling, medical, legal services
• Periodic coordination meetings with key service providers on the established referral
system

Under Strategic Objective 2, CRS will focus mainly on questions of prevention of gender-
based violence in the target community. This will be achieved by directly engaging
community members in addressing GBV within their families. CRS will pay special attention
to involving men, for the following reasons: 1) they tend to be the main perpetrators of
violence; 2) they are decision makers in the household and can therefore be agents of
change within it, and 3) traditionally, only men are permitted to be vocal in the public
realm.

Intermediate Result Core target group discusses causes and prevention of GBV
2.1: within their own families and community

Studies have shown that working strategically with individuals who hold sympathetic
attitudes towards survivors, or who are more likely to challenge the status-quo, can enable
these individuals to change their own attitudes and practices within a short timeframe. CRS
will focus on prevention with a core group - to promote change among individuals, reducing
the likelihood that they become perpetrators themselves, and increasing their solidarity
and support to women in their families when they witness violence.

Output 2.1.1: KAP study informs targeting and training decisions.


To address the fundamental beliefs and attitudes that perpetuate gender based violence in
the target community, a Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) study will be conducted
to gather data on attitudes and knowledge on gender based violence by men and women.
Based on information collected through the KAP, a core target group (described in Output
2.1.2) will be identified. The selection will be based on the group’s prevailing attitudes and
openness or propensity to change attitude and behavior. CRS will work with a technical
consultant who is experienced in behavior change communication for the design and
implementation of the KAP study and the identification of the target group.

Illustrative Activities:
• Design of KAP study, in conjunction with technical resource organization specialized
in behavior change communication

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• Identification of target group

Output 2.1.2: Core target group is trained on preventing GBV as it relates to their
prevailing attitudes.
CRS will engage with the core target group on issues around gender based violence and on
ways to change the prevailing attitudes on GBV within their communities – exact strategies
and messaging will be informed by the KAP study and through a participatory process with
the intended target group members. Messaging will begin with more discrete strategies
such as small group discussions and home visits. Discussion sessions will deal with rights
knowledge and generate reflection and discussion about causes of gender based violence
within their own families, community, culture and traditions. Throughout the project,
strategies will build up to more proactive approaches such as theatre groups and
discussions, based on the target group’s and the community’s comfort and acceptance
level. Results of the KAP study will inform key messages and messaging strategy
development.

Illustrative Activities:
• Community sessions to identify GBV issues
• Message and messaging strategies development
• Series of trainings for core group(s)

Intermediate Result 2.2 Key influential men and women in target communities raise
awareness against GBV in their community
CRS cannot directly intervene in GBV cases in the community; rather, CRS will work with
key influential persons, such as male religious leaders, male community tribal elders,
school teachers, and women elders to become role models and to let their words and
actions speak out against GBV. In current programs, CRS works through community
leaders in each of the legal cases, and thus has established a significant level of trust and
has secured viable entry points for discussion on GBV. The purpose of working with key
influential community members is to mobilize them around the issue as well as to gain
access to the wider population for awareness-raising.

Output 2.2.1: Key influential men and women have increased knowledge, skills, and
support, to recognize and speak out against GBV in their community.
CRS will work with up to 10 key men and 10 key women (as informed by the KAP study)
through focused messaging to change their knowledge about GBV, and to encourage the
view that GBV is detrimental to the community. CRS’ aim is that by end of the project, at
least one to two will become community role models who speak out against GBV.

Activities with key influential persons will focus on raising awareness on gender-based
violence – a mix of information and dialogues to promote discussions about the harms of
GBV to the well-being of the community. For example, with religious leaders, the
conversations will build on religious interpretation and condemnation of GBV. With men,
messages will aim to enhance empathy and trust; focusing on their own hardship as
refugees, and how they themselves face violence externally. The focus will be around the
benefits of harmony within their own household and community, and the importance of
eliminating additional violence which exacerbates the hardship for all family members.

CRS will support one to two key influential persons from this group to speak and act
publicly against GBV through awareness campaigns, announcements in prayer, in school,
in health service settings, etc. Over the life of the project, CRS will build their capacity to
serve as community role models, who can continue to share their changed knowledge and
attitudes beyond the project lifetime. Activities may include CRS’ facilitating linkages with

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influential persons (including religious leaders or scholars) who are already speaking out
against GBV, and inviting these individuals to participate in community discussions.

Illustrative Activities:
• Series of awareness discussions with key influential men and women on gender and
gender based violence with a focus on human rights and conflict resolution and
gender roles.
• Series of awareness discussions with key influential men and women on gender,
gender based violence, recognition of gender based violence, support services, and
counseling
• Involving key influential persons in development of Community center protocol
• Accompaniment of 1-2 ‘role models’ in their self-identified community initiatives
against GBV

B. Suggested Elements

Coordination Efforts: CRS will collaborate with both international and local non-
governmental organizations, as well as government actors for general coordination to
ensure complementarity of activities and avoid any duplication. CRS will continue to
coordinate closely with UNHCR, ARC and other actors working with the Afghan refugee
community in Balochistan. As part of the referral system, CRS will engage regularly with
other actors addressing GBV in Balochistan - through the Balochistan-GBV-Consortium, but
also with other government actors (Department of Social Welfare, Crisis Management
Center, hospitals, etc) and non-governmental actors (Aurat Foundation, SEHER, etc)
providing medical, legal and shelter support to GBV survivors, and will aim to facilitate
regular information sharing & informal cross-organizational learning forums. In addition,
CRS will facilitate joint capacity building opportunities for staff of like-minded organizations
addressing GBV, by opening CRS trainings to them. [Output 1.1.2]

Location and Local Awareness: CRS proposes to work with the Afghan refugee
community of Old Saranam camp in Pishin District, about 50km outside Quetta, in
Balochistan Province of Pakistan. In reaching out and engaging local influential groups and
individuals, CRS will be working within the parameters of traditional norms and supporting
local strategies for mediation and conflict resolution. Sensitive family matters are resolved
by the men of the family who are core members of the project’s target group. Trainings and
community awareness sessions will be designed with the input of intended participants.

Transition Strategy: CRS has worked in Pakistan since 1954, and has maintained an
office in Quetta since 2004. In order to ensure the sustainability of the project, CRS will
engage local leaders and provide them the knowledge, resources and linkages with existing
support structures, and strengthen existing institutional capacities to effectively refer and
counsel women. In order to ensure project impact within a one-year timeframe, activities
will be linked with CRS’ existing refugee legal assistance program and CRS will maintain
strong coordination with local authorities. Coordination and support with local government
and non-government actors is essential to all aspects of program implementation, and will
facilitate continued impact beyond the life of project. The learning and behavior change
generated by project activities will continue long after the envisaged one year timeframe.

Code of Conduct: CRS is an international relief and development organization working in


over 100 countries and with over 5,000 employees worldwide. CRS has a written code of
conduct that holds staff accountable for inappropriate behaviors regarding sexual activity
or exploitation, harassment or abuse, graft and discrimination of any sort. Upon hiring, all
CRS employees are required to read the CRS Code of Conduct and sign a mandatory Code

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of Conduct Form. Staff are terminated and in some cases, legal action is taken, for any
contravention of the Code of Conduct.

Management and Security

A. Program Management
This project will be managed out of the CRS Quetta Office, with oversight of overall
program and management quality by an international Head of Office. One international
Program Manager will dedicate 50% LOE to the management of this project (oversees
Project Coordinator - Trainings, coordination with external technical resources and
consultants, budget management, monitoring and evaluation) One Project Coordinator will
dedicate 100% LOE to this project to oversee the community center operations, community
outreach activities, training implementation, and regular field monitoring. The Project
Coordinator will work with a team of 2 Community Outreach Workers, 3 Trainers, and 2
Counselors.

B. Security
Security concerns in Balochistan and Afghanistan remain one of the largest threats to the
success of repatriation efforts. However, with respect to programming, the direct effect on
staff and on CRS’ ability to deliver effective services in and around Quetta has generally
been minor. CRS has established standard security guidelines for operations in Pakistan.
CRS has defined four levels of security alert levels. These alert levels are designed to help
staff categorize situations and assess threats, so the appropriate response to any given
situation/threat may be implemented. The security alert levels are titled and color-coded
for ease of identification and may be modified by or with the approval of the CRS Security
Manager to fit the situation confronted. For the purposes of control, record and analysis,
only the CRS Country Representative, Head of Office Quetta, and designated local security
manager may declare a specific alert or threat level. CRS has maintains strong
coordination with UN Security Personnel in Quetta and a formal information system related
to security in the province has been established. CRS globally is an active member of
Interaction and the CRS Board of Directors has adopted the Interaction Security Planning
guidelines. CRS also has a full time staff person that manages the relationship with the
Interaction Group, as well as the CRS Security portal.

Monitoring and Performance Measurement

A. Monitoring Plan
This program will be implemented by CRS through the ILAC and Community Center Staff.
Responsibility for day-to-day monitoring of program activities and outputs primarily rests
with the ILAC outreach staff and Community Center while impact monitoring will be
conducted jointly with the CRS Quetta Country Program management team. Output level
indicators will be monitored on a regular basis; IR level indicators will be monitored on a
monthly basis; SO level indicators will be monitored at the end of the program. CRS will
provide periodic reports to PRM, documenting program progress, challenges faced and
solutions taken to address them. The annual report will discuss progress achieved in
meeting the program’s higher level objectives. Given the duration of this grant, no mid-
term evaluation is proposed; rather, preparation of the mid-term report will be an
opportunity for a participatory review of program progress and impact by all stakeholders.
An end of project KAP survey will be conducted to compare against baseline data from the
initial KAP survey. The final report will aim to document program successes, challenges and
lessons learned that may be used to inform future refugee programs.

B. Performance measurement
[see Annex A for Project Framework and Annex B for Project Implementation Schedule]

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CRS/ Pakistan: Prevention of and Response to Gender-Based Violence in Afghan refugee communities in Balochistan
Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration
page 12

Budget
[see Annex C for Detailed Budget and Annex D for Budget Notes]

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