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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IntroDuctIon to the hAnDbook<br />
When a disaster hits or a conflict erupts, humanitarian<br />
actors move quickly to save lives, meet basic needs <strong>and</strong><br />
protect survivors. In this rush to provide humanitarian<br />
response, the appeal to “pay attention to gender issues”<br />
often falls on deaf ears <strong>and</strong> may seem irrelevant. It is not.<br />
“Paying attention to gender issues” or putting on a ”gender<br />
lens” quite simply means recognizing the different<br />
needs, capacities <strong>and</strong> contributions of wo<strong>men</strong>, girls, boys<br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>men</strong>. Ignoring or being blind to these different needs<br />
can have serious implications for the protection <strong>and</strong> survival<br />
of people caught up in humanitarian crises.<br />
This H<strong>and</strong>book sets forth st<strong>and</strong>ards for the integration<br />
of gender issues from the outset of a new complex<br />
emergency or disaster, so that humanitarian services provided<br />
neither exacerbate nor inadvertently put people<br />
at risk; reach their target audience; <strong>and</strong> have maximum<br />
positive impact.<br />
Purpose<br />
Prepared by members of the Inter-Agency St<strong>and</strong>ing Committee<br />
(IASC), this H<strong>and</strong>book aims to provide actors in the<br />
field with guidance on gender analysis, planning <strong>and</strong> actions<br />
to ensure that the needs, contributions <strong>and</strong> capacities<br />
of wo<strong>men</strong>, girls, boys <strong>and</strong> <strong>men</strong> are considered in all<br />
aspects of humanitarian response. It also offers checklists<br />
to assist in monitoring gender equality programming. The<br />
guidelines focus on major cross-cutting issues <strong>and</strong> areas<br />
of work in the early response phase of emergencies. The<br />
H<strong>and</strong>book is also a useful tool to make sure gender issues<br />
are included in needs assess<strong>men</strong>ts, contingency planning<br />
<strong>and</strong> evaluations. It can be used as a tool to mainstreaming<br />
gender as a cross-cutting issue in the sectors/clusters. If<br />
used correctly, this H<strong>and</strong>book will help promote the ultimate<br />
goal of protecting <strong>and</strong> promoting the human rights<br />
of wo<strong>men</strong>, girls, boys <strong>and</strong> <strong>men</strong> in humanitarian action<br />
<strong>and</strong> advancing the goal of gender equality.<br />
Section A should be studied by all readers <strong>and</strong><br />
used in combination with the specific sector<br />
chapters in Section B.<br />
Aud ence<br />
The target audience for this H<strong>and</strong>book is field practitioners<br />
responding to humanitarian emergencies that result<br />
from conflict or natural hazards. In particular, the H<strong>and</strong>book<br />
targets sector/cluster actors. Humanitarian Coordinators<br />
<strong>and</strong> others in leadership positions will also benefit<br />
from this tool as it provides guidance on how to analyse<br />
the situation from a gender perspective, imple<strong>men</strong>t<br />
gender-aware activities <strong>and</strong> measure effectiveness. The<br />
H<strong>and</strong>book will also assist donors to hold humanitarian actors<br />
accountable for integrating gender perspectives <strong>and</strong><br />
promoting equality in all aspects of their work.<br />
The phrase “wo<strong>men</strong>, girls, boys <strong>and</strong> <strong>men</strong>” as used<br />
throughout this H<strong>and</strong>book refers to young <strong>and</strong><br />
old across the life cycle.<br />
Structure<br />
The H<strong>and</strong>book is divided into two sections:<br />
Sect on A: Funda<strong>men</strong>tal Pr nc ples<br />
This section includes four chapters covering the core principles,<br />
m<strong>and</strong>ates, definitions <strong>and</strong> frameworks for gender<br />
equality:<br />
Basics of Gender in Emergencies sets forth the overarching<br />
framework of gender equality programming in humanitarian<br />
action. It defines terms <strong>and</strong> explains the relevance<br />
of gender equality in crisis situations.<br />
International Legal Framework for Protection provides<br />
information on m<strong>and</strong>ates coming from human rights, humanitarian<br />
<strong>and</strong> refugee law.<br />
Coordination on Gender Equality in Emergencies describes<br />
the ele<strong>men</strong>ts of effective coordination <strong>and</strong> the<br />
establish<strong>men</strong>t of gender networks in emergencies.<br />
Participation in Humanitarian Action discusses the importance<br />
of ensuring the equal participation of wo<strong>men</strong>,<br />
girls, boys <strong>and</strong> <strong>men</strong> in all aspects of humanitarian action,<br />
provides participation st<strong>and</strong>ards <strong>and</strong> gives examples on<br />
“how to” do participation in crisis.<br />
I n T R o d u C T I o n T o T H e H A n d b o o k<br />
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