Women, Girls, Boys and men - HumanitarianInfo.org
Women, Girls, Boys and men - HumanitarianInfo.org
Women, Girls, Boys and men - HumanitarianInfo.org
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ForeworD<br />
When war breaks out or disaster strikes, we move. As professional humanitarian workers, our job is to provide assistance<br />
<strong>and</strong> protect people during the most traumatic mo<strong>men</strong>ts in their lives; when they are frightened, lost, uncertain about<br />
the future <strong>and</strong> possessing next to nothing. Whether it is in Indonesia after the Tsunami or the DRC in the midst of fighting,<br />
the lives of ordinary wo<strong>men</strong>, girls, boys <strong>and</strong> <strong>men</strong> are disrupted — changed forever. We are there to lighten their<br />
load by ensuring that they receive the basic necessities of life. It is our responsibility to respect them, help restore the<br />
confidence <strong>and</strong> sense of self-dignity that is often destroyed by crisis. Above all we must not exacerbate their situation,<br />
cause more stress or expose them to new threats.<br />
In the rush to mobilize support, sort out logistics, coordinate with colleagues, respond to the dem<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> questions<br />
from HQ, we sometimes lose sight of who we are meant to be helping. We offer protection <strong>and</strong> distribute aid but can<br />
f<strong>org</strong>et that wo<strong>men</strong>, girls, boys <strong>and</strong> <strong>men</strong> often have different needs, face different threats <strong>and</strong> have different skills <strong>and</strong><br />
aspirations. Ignoring this can mean our assistance is not properly targeted. This can be both wasteful <strong>and</strong> harmful.<br />
This h<strong>and</strong>book offers real <strong>and</strong> practical guidance on identifying <strong>and</strong> addressing the differing needs <strong>and</strong> situations of<br />
wo<strong>men</strong>, girls, boys <strong>and</strong> <strong>men</strong>; in other words, being sensitive to gender issues in humanitarian crises. It is not about adding<br />
new tasks or responsibilities to jobs that are already tough. It is simply about good, common sense programming.<br />
Underst<strong>and</strong>ing gender differences, inequalities <strong>and</strong> capacities improves the effectiveness of our humanitarian response.<br />
We must work together to promote gender equality — this is a shared responsibility of all humanitarian actors.<br />
Jan Egel<strong>and</strong><br />
Emergency Relief Coordinator<br />
F o R e w o R d