Overview

Objectives

  • Deepen understanding of sexual violence dynamics, its root causes and contributing factors, and its impacts on individuals and communities
  • Conceive safe, ethical interventions across multiple sectors that prioritize the rights, needs, and wishes of victims and survivors including specific groups such as male survivors, children born of sexual violence, and other individuals and groups with intersecting identities and characteristics
  • Explore effective practices, key organizations, and evidence-based interventions addressing sexual violence in East African contexts
  • Expand analytical perspectives of the complex nature of survivor-centred approaches and reflect on strategies through which humanitarian organisations can enhance their survivor-centred practices within specific contexts.

Audience

This course is intended for mid-level and senior humanitarian managers currently working in East Africa or supporting populations from the region. It is particularly relevant for those directly involved in responding to sexual violence or providing technical guidance and oversight for related programmes. Applicants with relevant experience and expertise outside this primary audience may also be considered, subject to availability of places.

Programme

The course comprises thematic modules grounded in regional evidence and local expertise, delivered by a diverse team of local, regional, and international specialists in sexual violence prevention and response. The thematic areas include:

  • Core Concepts and Evidence Overview: Sexual Violence in East Africa
  • Ethics and Methods of Data Gathering
  • Medical Care for Survivors of Sexual Violence
  • Pregnancy as a result of rape
  • Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)
  • Sexual Violence Against Men and Boys
  • Survivor-Centred approaches and Ecosystems
  • Access to Justice for Survivors of Sexual Violence
  • Risk Mitigation
  • Preventing Sexual violence and Addressing Stigma

Registration

Registration deadline

15 September 2025

Fees:

  • Full price: CHF 1’700 (fees) + travel cost to be included
  • Partner rate (MSF, ICRC): CHF 1’360 (20% discount) + travel cost to be included
  • Special Rate for Government and NGO/CBO Staff: CHF 850 + travel cost to be included. Available exclusively to staff from local and national NGOs, CBOs, and government employees in low/middle-income countries. Proof of local employment and salary required.

Admission criteria

  • Be based in East Africa, or work with people from this region
  • Hold a university degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent)
  • Have at least three years' relevant professional experience
  • Have an excellent command of English
  • Demonstrate strong commitment to humanitarian work and ethics

Number of participants

The number of participants is adapted to the chosen pedagogy

Application File

  • Copy of identity document or passport
  • Passport photo (.jpg format)
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Cover letter (explaining what is the reason why you apply for this course and how will the acquired skills help you in your career)
  • Copy of the highest educational qualification obtained
  • Copy of work certificate or official document of the current job position
  • Proof of English language level
  • Employer's funding agreement, if applicable
  • Employer's letter of support (recommended)

More information about the application process is available on our application page.

Curriculum

Period

17 November 2025 - 21 November 2025

Credits

2 ECTS credits

Teaching hours

50 teaching hours
Sexual violence in Eastern Africa remains a pressing humanitarian challenge, deeply rooted in conflict and emergency settings. This Executive Short Course addresses the urgent need to equip mid- and senior-level humanitarian managers with advanced knowledge and skills to develop survivor-centred, multisectoral interventions. Held in Nairobi, the course integrates regional evidence and expert insights to foster contextually appropriate and ethical responses. At this critical moment, strengthening local and regional capacities is essential to enhance humanitarian effectiveness and uphold survivors’ rights.

Partnerships / Collaboration

Partnership

The course is delivered in partnership with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Médecins sans Frontières (MSF), Refugee Law Project (RLP), Utu Wetu Trust, UNHCR and in collaboration with local and regional expert organisations, survivor-led community organisations, and academic scholars.

Testimonial

“I was fortunate enough to be part of this course as we are setting up gender and sexual violence response and prevention activities in Borno state, Nigeria. This has meant that I could already feed in some of the learnings into the activity design.  As a result of the course, we will, for instance, be implementing more comprehensive support to survivors than previously planned to respond in a more tailor-made way to the needs of each survivor. This course has motivated me to continue seeking ways to improve and extend our programming to support survivors of sexual violence and prevent it from occurring where possible. Within my organisation, sexual violence programming is still marginal compared to other sectors. Still, I intend to advocate internally for increased resource allocation to this often underfunded area and strengthen our organisational capacity.”

Alexander Gnädinger, Programme Manager

Testimonial

The content and the course organisation, as well as the facilitation, were very impressive. Presenters addressed their topics in a pedagogical way tailored to adult training and learning needs. Sexual violence in conflict settings and emergencies and in times of peace should be seriously considered. It has several negative impacts on the lives of individuals, whether males or females and communities. It destroys the social fabric and cohesion of communities. As humanitarian workers, we need to be aware of that and anticipate that sexual violence might happen anywhere and anytime. I was very satisfied with the training. This is a key course that should be offered to all humanitarian actors, not only those working specifically on Sexual violence.

Marietou Dia, Sexual Violence Regional Advisor for Africa, ICRC

Testimonial

“Having facilitators who are experts in the field, not only in knowledge but also in practice, was key to my learning.”

Course participant

Testimonial

“The course was an eye-opener. I interacted with so many practitioners, which was important because we [researchers] make policy recommendations and
must interact meaningfully with those actors who interact routinely with survivors. We often do not have these engagements.
I would definitely recommend this course to researchers on sexual violence in humanitarian settings”.

Course participant

Testimonial

“The course reminded me of the importance of tackling the topic of sexual violence with no preconceptions about its prevalence in a given context, who it affects and what survivors need and want. Preconceived ideas can lead professionals to miss or misunderstand important elements. The course also reminded me of the importance of creating spaces for survivors to speak and of taking the time to listen to them to understand their experience and better address their needs.”                                                                                                                                                                             

Layla Clément, Human Rights Professional and Investigator

Testimonial

“Looking solely at a (potential) individual victim is fundamentally incomplete. There is a need to adopt a multi-survivor programming and consider the negative implications of those victimised, be they male or female, on their spouses, children and, in fact, communities.“

Anastasiia Doroshenko, Protection Delegate,  Danish Red Cross, Sudan

Testimonial

“Listening to the survivor leaders about their needs and wants, about what they think about the humanitarian aid and what we are providing also opened my eyes to several things: some support can only be provided by the community, and we could put more resources to facilitate this. The aid we provide sometimes doesn’t meet the needs and wants of the survivors, because it is based on what we think they need, and we can only understand this by listening to them.”

Course participant.

Director(s)

Prof. Karl BLANCHET, Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies, a joint Centre of the University of Geneva and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID), Geneva

Coordinator(s)

Laura PASQUERO, Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies, Geneva

Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals

Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development
Previous edition

FAQ