This knowledge brief aims to inspire and encourage policymakers, activists, practitioners, and researchers as they ask themselves how innovation may better fit into and strengthen their work to prevent violence against women and girls. It offers a goal-based working definition of innovation, describing promising innovative approaches through examples and making the case for further advancements, without compromising ethical and safety standards or evidence generation.

Years of instability in Lakes State, South Sudan, have negatively impacted people’s lives, exacerbating the inequalities women and girls are facing and resulting in high levels of gender-based violence (GBV) and forced marriages. This briefing draws on the perspectives of citizens and authorities to examine the conflict, GBV, and mental health challenges that women in Lakes State face. It also provides recommendations for governments, international NGOs, civil society and traditional leaders to tackle these challenges.

Based on a literature review and interviews with key stakeholders, this technical brief synthesizes current research into how masculinities and disabilities intersect in conflict and post-conflict settings. It outlines evidenced-based strategies for meaningful engagement with men and boys and sheds light on how to equip them with the skills they need to play a role in peaceful societies that are both gender- and disability-inclusive.

To put in place inclusive strategies that increase the resilience of women and men in all their diversity, there is an urgent need to better understand the gendered effects of climate change across countries. To achieve this goal, this paper explores the connections between phenomena related to climate change and gender related outcomes—including child marriage, adolescent births, and intimate partner violence— in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal, the Philippines, and Timor-Leste.

Women aged 50 years and over account for over a quarter of the world’s female population, yet they are almost entirely invisible in debates on gender equality globally—including those related to gender and health. This brief argues that progress towards universal health coverage (UHC) can contribute to a more gender equal world. However, this will only happen if governments invest in gender transformative approaches to UHC that meet the needs and uphold the rights of women and girls of all ages, including older women.

In Bangladesh, faith-based organizations have the potential to meaningfully address harmful gender and sexual and reproductive health attitudes, behaviors and norms among very young adolescents, their families and communities. This brief summarizes an activity that sought to strengthen local partner capacity to apply effective programming addressing challenges facing very young adolescents, a population that is commonly overlooked.