Guidance on Integrating Gender Equality Commitments in Emergency Preparedness and Response

In all stages of preparedness and response, it is critical to understand the different needs, barriers, capacities, opportunities and aspirations of women, men, boys, and girls, while striving to meet these needs without creating further stress or harm.
To fulfil gender equality commitments and mainstream gender in the Rohingya humanitarian response, humanitarian partners must bring attention and resources to critical issues of gender equality, women’s rights, and empowerment. Accordingly, it is imperative that in all stages of emergency preparedness and response, gender issues are systematically and explicitly identified and addressed.

1. Disaggregation of Data: Sex, Age, and Disability Disaggregated Data (SADDD) should be collected and analysed at all stages of the response to understand the humanitarian needs, provide information on the response, and measure impacts. Age and gender disaggregated data is available at the block level for all camps, and should be used as baseline data. In the immediate response to an emergency, if for any reason disaggregated data is not readily available, an estimate should be derived based on the latest demographic profiles, to produce an estimated breakdown of women, girls, men, boys, older persons, and persons with disabilities, using the available data.

2. Needs Assessments: In any scenario where a needs assessment is undertaken, assessment teams must include women, and should ideally be gender balanced. It is important to adopt special measures such as same-sex interviews, interviews conducted in private spaces and at a convenient time for both women and men. Consultations with women and men of all ages are critical to determine the different needs, priorities, and capacities, thereby reflecting them in the response.

a. Rapid Gender Analysis: Key gender issues and priorities must be considered in needs analyses. In an emergency, the GiHA WG may lead a Rapid Gender Analysis (through a Gender Alert), which looks at the impacts on the Rohingya and host communities’ women, girls, men and boys, and verifies that the humanitarian response meets their distinct needs and priorities. It allows for an understanding of the intersectional needs of who is the most affected by the crisis, what they need, what capacity they have and what they can do for themselves during recovery. Thinking about the gender dimensions of the humanitarian response improves what we do, how we do it, and how effectively our work meets the needs of all those impacted by the crisis, especially the most vulnerable. When issued, a Rapid Gender Analysis would include a set of recommendations for all stakeholders in the response, which should be acted upon in a coordinated approach through the Sectors.

1. Adapted Assistance and Targeted Actions: Gender-responsive interventions must be ensured across all Sectors, and Sector-specific Tip Sheets (linked below) should be considered in preparedness and response efforts. Of note, experiences of previous emergencies have highlighted the importance of strengthening gender-responsive interventions within several areas, including: loss and damage assessments using gender measures, food security interventions, rebuilding of shelters and key facilities (i.e. women-friendly spaces, learning centres), access to healthcare and NFIs, education, reissuing and registration of documents, and communication and information-sharing with affected populations. To support these efforts, it is essential to engage with gender actors, women’s groups and networks, especially Women Led and Women-Focused Organisations (WLOs/WFOs) to identify meaningful ways to involve the affected population in the needs assessments, as well as the design, implementation and management of the response.

2. Resources:

• SEG endorsed GEEWG commitment (Link)

• Gender Tip Sheets (Link)

• Gender with Age Marker Bangla Support (Link)

• Honour Transition: Changing Gender Norms among Rohingya (Link)

• Intersectional Gender Analysis Cox Bazar (Link)

• Gender Alert on Fire in Kutupalong and Balukali Camps, 29 March 2021 (Link)

• Comprehensive Gender Analysis within Rohingya and Host Communities in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh (Link)

1. Available Support:

GiHA WG Coordination:
Co-Chairs: Mehtap Tatar mehtap.tatar@unwomen.org and Tahmina Parvin parvin@unhcr.org Runia Mowla: runia.mowla@unwomen.org and Farzana Lucy farzana.lucy@unwomen.org Sector Gender Focal Points: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EmYYUWuZIC_0ewwGv4fixZDA913ruk6VmbAhl1uFydU/edit?usp=sharing