Closing the Gender Gap in Humanitarian Action

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Today we face a global humanitarian challenge.

From Syria’s ongoing conflict to Nepal’s post-earthquake recovery and West Africa’s Ebola epidemic, human suffering has reached alarming levels, with women and girls being disproportionately affected. Yet, when it comes to humanitarian assistance, gender equality is not prioritized.
0.0
million people
were affected by natural disasters or displaced by conflict and violence in 2014.
0
per cent
of refugees are women.
only 0
per cent
of projects in UN inter-agency appeals were targeted at women and girls.
just 0
per cent
of all funding to fragile states—most impacted by disasters—went to women’s groups or women’s ministries

When crises strike, gender inequalities are often exacerbated

These include: increased levels of gender-based violence, exclusion from life-saving services and decision-making processes due to discriminatory social norms, such as food hierarchies, and limited mobility to get help due to physical insecurity.

LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE IMPACTS

Health

Access to healthcare is limited during and after a crisis, increasing mortality and malnutrition rates, particularly for mothers and infants.
0
per cent of preventable maternal deaths take place in settings of conflict, displacement and natural disasters.

Gender-based violence

Gender-based violence, including rape and early and forced marriage, often increases during crises when protection mechanisms deteriorate, depriving women and girls the fundamental rights to live free from violence.
1 in 5
refugees or displaced women in complex humanitarian settings are estimated to have experienced sexual violence—likely an underestimation given the barriers associated with disclosure.

Livelihoods

Crises often hit women’s livelihoods hardest, in part also because they tend to be engaged in informal sectors, increasing their risk of engaging in poorly paid work or transactional sex.
Up to 0
per cent of internally displaced households in Yemen are female headed, compared to approximately 9 per cent before the current crisis.

Education

Girls are often the first to be pulled out of school as parents find ways to alleviate economic burdens, depriving them the fundamental rights to education and the realization of their full potential in life.
Girls are 0.0
times more likely to be out of school in conflict-affected countries than their counterparts in conflict-free countries.

Women are leaders and agents of change

Women are often the first responders to a crisis, and play a central role in the survival and resilience of families and communities. Studies show that when women are included in humanitarian action, the entire community benefits. Local women’s groups are also often best placed to mobilize change and respond to crises.

HERE’S JUST A FEW WAYS UN WOMEN IS HELPING WOMEN IN CRISIS SITUATIONS TO TAKE CHARGE