Displaced and Overlooked:Why GBV Funding Must Reach Displaced Women in Conflict Zones

By Nyasha B. Dube

When conflict erupts, the guns may fall silent, but the violence against women often escalates in the shadows.” In humanitarian crises, the most visible destruction is often collapsed buildings, roads cut, and people fleeing. Yet behind that outward devastation lies a more sinister emergency, the sharp rise in gender-based violence (GBV) among displaced, marginalised and invisible women. For donors and allies committed to justice and humanitarian impact, the imperative is clear: funding must reach displaced women now, not as an add-on, but as a central pillar of conflict and humanitarian response. Ignoring this means not only failing these women but undermining peace, resilience and recovery.

How conflict and displacement heighten GBV risk

Conflict and mass displacement destroy the protective frameworks that previously supported women and girls. Local rule of law fractures, formal protection systems collapse and social safety nets vanish. In such settings:

• Displaced women and girls face increased risk of sexual violence, exploitation, trafficking and forced survival strategies. For example, the agency CARE International UK has documented that in Sudan the number of women and girls fearing sexual violence rose by nearly 60 % in the wake of conflict. (CARE Australia)

• According to UN Women, around 676 million women and girls lived within 50 km of conflict zones in 2024, the highest share since the 1990s, and conflict-related sexual violence cases verified rose by 87 % between 2022 and 2024. (UN Women Knowledge portal)

• Displaced and stateless women (over 60 million globally) face elevated risk of GBV simply by virtue of their status. (United Nations Geneva)

• Marginalised groups like women with disabilities, LGBTQ+ persons, ethnic minorities, migrants and refugees, are at compounded risk as the breakdown of protection hits them harder and often invisibly. The UK’s Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan recognises that “women and girls with disabilities … have been found to form one of the most socially excluded groups in any displaced or conflict-affected community.” (GOV.UK)

In short, conflict and displacement amplify risk, erode protections and leave women extremely vulnerable.

Barriers faced by victims

Despite the heightened risk, displaced women often remain hidden victims. Several interconnected barriers prevent them from accessing support:

• Access constraints: Displacement often means loss of legal status, language barriers, restricted mobility and remote camp or settlement settings. For example the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) notes that “access to resources diminishes … and women and girls being sexually assaulted when collecting firewood and water” in spontaneous settlements. (UNHCR)

• Service gaps: In many crisis settings, GBV services are deprioritised compared to food or shelter. According to UNHCR, large numbers of forcibly displaced women and girls face “high risks of gender-based violence” yet “funding for lifesaving services … is woefully lacking.” (United Nations Geneva)

• Stigma and invisibility: Survivors may fear retaliation, social rejection or blame. Cultural norms may silence reporting. Marginalised survivors (e.g., women with disabilities or LGBTQ+ individuals) may face multiple layers of discrimination and thus fall off the radar entirely.

• Power dynamics and mobility: New power structures often emerge in displacement contexts, armed groups, informal markets, illicit economies, and women may have reduced ability to negotiate safety or escape violence.

• Funding and programming blind-spots: Mainstream humanitarian funding and service delivery models often overlook these groups because they are harder to reach or deemed “secondary”. The effects include delayed response, partial coverage and increased vulnerability.

These barriers mean that even when services exist, many displaced women cannot access them, making targeted funding, tailored design and inclusive frameworks all the more urgent.

What works? Survivor-led, community-based, context-specific responses

The good news is that we are seeing effective models that respond to the specific needs of displaced and marginalised survivors. These highlight key principles donors and allies should prioritise:

• Survivor-led organisations: Women’s rights groups based in or drawn from conflict/displacement settings are proving critical. They bring contextual insight, lived experience and trust. For example, UNHCR’s 2023 Global Report describes how refugee women-led organisations in camps have implemented GBV prevention and response interventions. (UNHCR Reporting)

• Community-based approaches: Interventions anchored in local communities, peer-support networks, local female leaders, safe-spaces within settlement settings, can bring services closer to survivors and reduce access barriers.

• Intersectional, trauma-informed care: Responses must reflect the intersectional identities of survivors and the trauma of conflict or displacement. Programmes that integrate psychosocial care, legal assistance, safe shelter and economic empowerment are more effective.

• Flexible funding and outreach: In high-risk contexts where mobility is limited and infrastructure weak, flexible funding allows rapid adaptation (e.g., mobile legal clinics, remote counselling). For instance, CARE’s operations in Ukraine highlight protection and prevention as focal areas alongside shelter and cash assistance under rapidly evolving conditions. (CARE International UK)

• Partnerships across humanitarian and development contexts: Blended approaches that link immediate GBV response with longer-term structural change (legal reform, livelihood pathways, community resilience) lead to sustainable impact.

  
  

For donors and allies, supporting these models is not optional, it is essential. When funding is targeted, context-specific and inclusive, invisible survivors become visible, interventions become adaptive and outcomes become measurable.

Call to Action

For those of you invested in justice, human dignity and humanitarian effectiveness, we invite you to commit to the following actions:

• Invest in grassroots, intersectional programmes that explicitly include displaced, stateless, minority, LGBTQ+ and disabled women and girls. These are the most marginalised survivors and yet often the least funded.

• Allocate flexible, rapid-response funding windows for GBV in conflict and displacement settings. Rigid funding models cannot adapt to the fluidity of humanitarian crises. The UK’s Women, Peace & Security reporting notes new funding windows for displaced and refugee women. (GOV.UK)

• Partner with feminist, women-led organisations operating in crisis zones rather than bypassing them. Localised implementation, survivor leadership and community legitimacy amplify impact.

• Support rigorous research, monitoring and evaluation on what works in conflict-GBV contexts. Evidence is still limited and must be strengthened if we are to scale success.

• Amplify voices of displaced survivors and their advocates. Advocacy matters. When invisible survivors are seen and heard, funding priorities shift, policies reform and services improve.

If you are a donor or an ally ready to act, consider committing to a funding round or partnership that explicitly ensures displaced and marginalised women are included in GBV service delivery. Connect with us at Bertha’s Legacy to explore how your investment can reach hidden victims, create ripple effects and strengthen peace and stability.

Conclusion

Conflict and displacement do not pause our responsibility to address gender-based violence, in fact, they amplify it. When we bring funding, support and innovation to the women who are most at risk, we are not only saving lives but laying the foundations for resilient communities, stronger institutions and lasting peace. Let us ensure that the invisible become visible. Let us ensure that the hidden victims are not forgotten.