External Review of the Call to Action
To mark the 10th anniversary of the Call to Action (2013-2023), Germany – as Call to Action lead – commissioned an external review in 2024. The review aimed to take stock of Call to Action achievements over the past decade and was conducted through an inclusive and participatory process that allowed all Call to Action partners to contribute and make their voices heard.
Key questions guiding the review included:
What is the comparative advantage of the Call to Action?
To what extent has the Call to Action succeeded in fulfilling its primary goals to protect women and girls from GBV in humanitarian emergencies?
What changes does the Call to Action need to make to its current way of working to best achieve its goals?
The review provided critical analysis and tailored recommendations to strengthen the Call to Action’s impact, efficiency and future direction. The recommendations serve as a basis for the formulation of the next roadmap (2026-2030) and inform internal governance processes.
The findings and recommendations were presented and discussed during the Annual Partners’ Meeting held in Berlin in November 2024. The review highlights the comparative advantage of the Call to Action: its nature as a state-led initiative, which ensures strong political visibility for the issue of GBV. At the same time, it unites the three key stakeholder groups in the humanitarian system, facilitating direct exchange on key issues. However, the review has also noted that the rapid expansion of the Call to Action – now including over 100 partners – has impacted agility and making common messaging more difficult. As a result, one of the key recommendations was to consolidate Call to Action membership for greater strategic focus.
Overall, the review has confirmed that the Call to Action has played a significant role in transforming how GBV prevention, response and mitigation are integrated in humanitarian emergencies. The external review has created new momentum for the Call to Action and provided guidance for the incoming Norwegian lead in setting strategic priorities for the years ahead.
