Gender in Complex Emergencies

From WFP - Gender News No. 21
Representatives from HQ, the Horn of Africa (Kenya, Somalia and Sudan), the Great Lakes Region (Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda), Angola, and Ethiopia gathered in Nairobi in early November to share experiences on gender mainstreaming in complex emergencies and to identify opportunities and challenges for implementing the Commitments to Women.

The workshop was organised and facilitated by Satu Lassila, Regional Gender Adviser (Horn of Africa and Great Lakes Regions) and Hendrica Okondo, Regional Gender Officer (Horn of Africa). Marian Read, Regional Programme Adviser (Horn of Africa and Great Lakes Regions) and Elina Sana, Senior Gender Advisor (HQ) acted as resource persons.

The workshop participants analyzed the implementation of the Commitments to Women, identified best practices and reviewed the Gender Action Facility-funded activities of 1999. Participants also focused on issues concerning internally displaced persons, emergency operations and refugees. Other topics covered included the role of men in gender mainstreaming, the use of Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (VAM) techniques in gender analysis, and security and advocacy issues. However, the sharing of experiences turned out to be one of the most important aspects of the workshop. After the wide-ranging discussions, participants drafted gender action plans for 2000-2001.

This workshop also provided an excellent opportunity for the Rome-based agencies to come together and strategize. After the workshop a meeting with IFAD and FAO representatives was held on future gender training collaboration. The result: FAO's SEAGA training material (The Socioeconomic and Gender Analysis Programme) will be modified to include specific tools for gender programming in emergencies. Also, there are plans to include WFP field staff or counterparts in the FAO Training of Trainers gender courses in Africa, Latin America and the Balkans.

Final gender strategy workshops are scheduled for:

North Africa and the Middle East in Egypt (Cairo): 26 -30 March

Balkans and Caucasus in Hungary (Budapest): 9-11 April

South, West and East Asia in Cambodia (Phnom Penh): 8-12 May