The Joint Consortium on Gender Based Violence was originally established in response to the levels of gender based violence being perpetrated in Darfur, Western Sudan. The members soon decided, however, that the aim of the consortium should be to identify how best to develop institutional capacity to respond to GBV on a systematic basis rather than specifically in relation to one high profile example.

The group initially commissioned research to examine international practice and to develop a framework that could be applied by all organisations to areas such as policy, operations and allocation of resources. This was followed in 2005 by a publication entitled ‘;Gender Based Violence: A Failure to Protect, A Challenge to Action'. In this publication, significant findings of the earlier study are outlined and 6 key interventions that organisations can undertake to address GBV are identified.

The 6 key interventions are:

1. Institutionalise GBV responses at organisational level
2. Support GBV programming - understand the context
3. Make prevention and protection central to programming
4. Improve service delivery: responding to GBV
5. Engage with civil society
6. Co-ordinate and collaborate with partners/other agencies.

Further, the publication highlights particular issues to be considered within each of the interventions and specific actions to be undertaken toward their achievement.