Increased access to protection services for Host Communities, Internally Displaced Persons, and Returnees in South Kordofan. ltpgtThe proposed project will provide lifesaving protection services to a population that is highly traumatized from war and violent conflict. Project services will target the Host community, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and Returnees in South Kordofan State. This population has close to 956,000 persons with concerns (POCs) (majorly women and girls) who:ltbrgt1. are vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), have experienced grave rights violations and gender-based violence (GBV), with immediate protection and safeguarding needs, ltbrgt2. are victims of sustained destruction, multiple displacements, insufficient governance, chronic marginalization, and lack of livelihood opportunities. ltbrgtConsequently, the proposed project region is characterized by:ltbrgt1. a high prevalence of harmful practices with incidences of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), rape, abduction, physical assault, harassment, humiliation, early pregnancy, early marriage, and female genital mutilation (FGM)ltbrgt2. high vulnerabilities for women and girls due to insecurity, violations of fundamental human rights, low economic status, lack of livelihood opportunities, augmented with climate adverse coping strategies, and limited awareness of human rights, ltbrgt3. lack of access to quality life-saving protection services (Child Protection (CP) and GBV)ltbrgt4. lack of an enabling environment to access services, including a lack of integrated services for survivors and limited capacities of service providers and ltbrgt5. a limited number of specialized organizations in protection and safeguarding.ltbrgtThe SHF-NCA proposed project must, therefore, be focused on the following:ltbrgt1. mapping the most vulnerable Host, IDP, and Returnee household and distributing critical risk mitigation material (dignity kits), ltbrgt2. setting up women and ltbrgtGirls' safe spaces and actioning context-appropriate women-and-girls empowerment initiatives, providing PSS and case management services.ltbrgt3. contributing to a favorable protection environment by creating and supporting Host IDP/Returnee community-based protection networks (CBPNs) and championing initiatives for transforming dominant harmful norms into positive norms, with coordination across authorities, humanitarians, and peace-building partners.ltbrgtlt/pgtltpgtltbrgtThe proposed project will:ltbrgt1. conduct needs assessments and develop an information database, distribute dignity kits to 3500 women and girls, and conduct post-distribution monitoring to gauge the effectiveness of interventions, ltbrgt2. Adapt modules from UNICEF's Communities Care (CC) approach for social norms change and create clear linkages between the strong prevention and response modules to the project within the Host community and those built for the IDP/Returnee communities.ltbrgt3. Establish only safe spaces for women and girls.ltbrgt4. train POCs and rights-holders on women’s rights (gender-based violence, prevention against sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) and call for the inclusion of POCs in the cross-cutting Host and IDP/Returnees leadership structures.ltbrgt5. provide psychological first aid (PFA), provide psychosocial support services (PSS)ltbrgt6. build community structures.ltbrgt7. conduct protection monitoring, ltbrgt8. establish POC community structures (leadership, establish CBPN and peace committees, and support their economic reintegration through material support and empowerment initiativeltbrgtThe implementation strategy will focus on community engagement for protection and safeguarding by seeking sustainable community solutions to address stigma and champion integrations and peaceful co-existence. The project will focus on community-based approaches, including CBPNs and community-led women and girls’ empowerment at the women and girls-only safe spaces. NCA will implement the intervention through optimal coordination with local, international, and United Nations partners within the central regions of South Kordofan.ltbrgtlt/pgt