Community-Based Child Protection and GBV Response in Kandahar province in Afghanistan The proposed project aims to provide lifesaving and protection assistance to the children, women, girls among the vulnerable IDPs, returnees and host community Dand (Kandahar), Daman, Boldak, Arghandaab and Zhari districts in Kandahar province. Total 14,950 beneficiaries (women-3,600, men-3,000, boys-3,875, girls-4,475) will be reached within the project period through child protection and GBV services.

The project will provide case management services and psychosocial assistance for 4,950 children (boys- 2,475, girls-2,475) who are at risk because of conflict, displacement and recent COVID-19 pandemic. The Psychosocial mobile teams will identify vulnerable children, provide psychosocial support and provide case management services through close coordination with community and local authorities. The project will strengthen child protection referral services through developing understanding and capacity on child protection issues and having an inter-sectoral pathways for the service providers accessible to all these needing assistance. 10 Child Friendly Spaces (CFSs) will be established in IDPs/returnee settlement where children of all abilities don’t have access to recreational activities. 25 Child Protection Forum will be established in community/village level who will be trained and will work for the promoting child protection in their community. Religious leaders, elders, women leaders will be engaged on mobilization of community people on child protection issues. 

IRW will provide GBV protection services and awareness among 10,000 individuals (women-3,600, men-3,000, boys-1,400, girls-,2,000) for IDPs, returnees and host communities in Kandahar. IRW will utilize internal capacity to respond through provision of GBV case management and Psychosocial Support (PSS), provision of dignity kits for women and girls, capacity building of service providers and protection monitoring and risk mitigation activities services in the targeted districts of Kandahar province. A key focus of this intervention will include strengthening GBV services for women and girls making them more accessible for all and promoting local level GBV coordination and referral systems with other local and international actors. GBV awareness messages will be disseminated through local FM radio stations to reach wider number of audiences. The project will operate Women Friendly Health Spaces (WFHSs) for providing psychosocial support for the women and girls in need. The project will engage community elders, religious and community leaders and youth for sensitizing community people on GBV issues.  

IRW will coordination with all key stakeholders including relevant official institutions and government t ministries, as well as others humanitarian agencies in local and national level. IRW has a strong accountability system of Complaint Response Mechanism (CRM), safeguarding and protection from sexual from sexual exploitation and abuse, that reflects its commitments to CHS and IASC minimum standards. All interventions implemented through this project will be based on consideration of safety and dignity, non-discrimination and respect to beneficiaries with their informed consent. IRW will ensure “Do No Harm” principle that guide IRW interventions intervention to avoid causing further harm due to its intervention and priorities beneficiaries security and safety.