Lesotho Community-Led GBV Prevention and Response Strengthening Project

pipeline

Prospective

The proposed operation aims to strengthen community-based GBV prevention and improve the quality and coordination of survivor-centered GBV services in Lesotho. The operation will work through three mutually reinforcing components. The first component will leverage Lesotho's traditional chieftaincy system by engaging community and religious leaders as frontline actors in GBV prevention, survivor referrals, and norm change. This will be achieved through a standardized GBV training package for traditional leaders at all levels — including traditional courts — and a community-level behavioral change campaign co-designed with local leaders and reinforced through community radio and other media channels. The second component will strengthen the capacity of GBV service providers across government agencies and civil society organizations (CSOs), with a focus on survivor-centered approaches, improved data collection and case management, and better coordination among key actors. It will support the development and delivery of a comprehensive capacity building program covering soft and technical skills — including climate-resilient service provision — and the design of a digital case management system to enable harmonized, real-time data sharing and improved referral pathways. The component will also develop a standardized GBV awareness and prevention module for integration into economic empowerment programs across multiple sectors and World Bank-financed projects. The third component will finance project management, monitoring and evaluation, and knowledge dissemination. A Project Implementation Unit (PIU) will oversee day-to-day operations under the strategic guidance of a multi-stakeholder Steering Committee. M&E activities will include will include both quantitative and qualitative data collection, including an assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices and pre- and post- assessments. Knowledge sharing events and participation in regional and international policy forums will be supported to promote institutional learning and cross-sector collaboration, with JSDF visibility and branding integrated throughout. The Ministry of Gender, Youth, and Social Development (MoGYSD) is proposed as the grant recipient/implementing agency (in partnership with the Ministry of Finance), with nationwide reach focused on traditional leaders, survivors, women at risk, and relevant government staff.

World Bank Group

Project

Government, Commercial