Technical Competency
Sexual Violence and Stigma Sensitisation
Deep Dive
The following table includes a non-exhaustive list of required elements for demonstrating Sexual Violence and Stigma Sensitisation and examples of statements or behaviours which suggest need for further development in this competency. This deep dive addresses separately each element of knowledge, demonstrated skills and attitudes/approaches which together make up this competency.
Knowledge, recommending what someone should understand and be able to explain and examples of statements or behaviours which indicate a need for further development.
Demonstrated skills, recommending skills expected for everyone, those specific to programming roles and those specific to roles involving survivor interaction. Examples of behaviours which indicate the need for further development included as well.
Attitudes or approaches (linked to Core Values) which help identify associated values and attitudes, as well as examples of attitudes or approaches which indicate the need for further development.
Key Murad Code Provisions for this Technical Competency
1.2 Counter assumptions
3.3 Do not stigmatise
3.4 Ensure accuracy
6.4 Understand stigma towards SCRSV and survivors
6.6 Recognise individual, compounded and collective harms
7.4 Build the right competencies
9.7 Understand delayed and partial disclosures
10.7 Contextualise SCRSV
KNOWLEDGE: understands and can explain…
Elements expected for all roles
SCRSV as one form of gender-based violence within a broader continuum of violence arising from systemic and structural gender and other inequities
Different types of SCRSV in different settings, against different victims (by gender, age, or other identifying/intersectional characteristics, status or grouping) by different types of perpetrators
Coercive circumstances (negating possibility of consent) in conflict settings
Common red flags or indicators for circumstances under which SCRSV have happened before
Individual, compounded and collective forms of harm arising from SCRSV for different persons in different settings [MC 6.6]
What stigma is, how it manifests in different levels (institutional, societal, relational and internal) and how it affects survivors in relevant contexts [MC 6.4, 9.7]
What silences survivors and leads to disclosure after time, and in stages [MC 6.4, 9.7]
Importance of first reaction or response to disclosure and the impact on well-being if there is a ‘bad reaction’, including types of ‘bad reaction’ (disbelief, blame, shame, minimisation and other forms of stigma)
Examples of statements or behaviours which indicate the need for further development
Focus on vaginal rape with a penis as only or main form of sexual violence, uses ‘rape’ interchangeably with ‘sexual violence’
Use of only female pronouns when referring to survivors as a whole or denies sexual violence against men
Expects physical injuries or signs of resistance as proof of sexual violence
Insists on forensic examination and DNA collection in all circumstances
Implies ‘consent’ for acts of a sexual nature or fails to consider coercive circumstances or imbalances of power
Non-recognition of stigma as a risk/harm for survivors and their families
Non-recognition of common circumstance (often called ‘red flags’) under which SCRSV has occurred
DEMONSTRATED SKILLS: can demonstrate how to…
Expected for all roles
Recognise and incorporate different SCRSV typology, victimology and circumstances into work
Use non-stigmatising language in all forms of communication [MC3.1]
Incorporate stigma counter-measures in their work
Self-reflect on and examine own behaviour to tackle bias, stereotyping and stigma
Specific to programming (designing and delivering SCRSV programming)
Design, resource and manage programming to identify (or create chance of identifying) different typologies, victimologies and circumstances
Identify, design, resource, implement, measure and monitor stigma counter-measures within programming
Specific to survivor interaction roles (direct interaction with survivor to gather information)
Prepare and deploy methodologies which creates chance of identifying different typologies, victimologies and circumstances
Ask open questions and use active listening with all persons (as potential witnesses or survivors)
Use stigma counter-measures in work, including privacy/discretion/confidential measures and counters internalised stigma in interactions
Examples of behaviour which indicate a need for further development
Does not prepare for potential disclosure of SCRSV from all persons – assumes some people/groups are not survivors
Fails to recognise forced witnesses as victims/survivors of SCRSV, failure to recognise sexualised element in torture of men, etc
Uses stigmatising language, including blaming, shaming, minimisation and perpetuation of myths and misconceptions
Fails to address/counter impact of stigma in design, resource, risk mitigation or implementation of work
Attitude and Approach
Associated Values
Core Values: Humility; Humanity, Dignity and Empathy
Approaches: open-mindedness, continuous learning, self-reflection, contextualisation/localisation
Examples of attitudes or approaches which indicate need for further development
Closed-minded approach with rigid assumptions on who, what and how
Assumes only young, attractive girls are victims of rape by armed soldiers
Embraces and does not question harmful gender prejudices and misassumptions