When IAMs fail women: Gendered harm needs gendered justice

In this month’s edition of the Console newsletter, Research Associate Lama Almoayed explores how Independent Accountability Mechanisms (IAMs) routinely fail to recognize or address the gendered nature of harm. While IAMs are meant to provide redress for communities harmed by development projects, their one-size-fits-all processes often overlook how harm disproportionately impacts women and girls. Drawing on community interviews, this article examines why gender-based violence (GBV) frequently goes unreported, the structural limitations of existing IAM processes, and the urgent need for survivor-centered, gender-sensitive reforms that deliver meaningful remedy - not just on paper but in practice.