"Gender and Diversity in Humanitarian Responses"

1. Gender and Diversity in Humanitarian
Responses
Christie J. Edwards, JD, LLM
Director, International Humanitarian Law

2. Refugees
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 Women are the majority of the world’s refugees and
internally displaced populations
 Reliance on local populations or assistance from NGOs
for survival
 High risk of sexual violence and injuries from landmines
when searching for water, food, firewood, traditional
medicines
 Overlooked by refugee camp authorities
 Forced to trade sex for food, safety, shelter,
documentation, etc.
 Lack of adequate access to medical care

3. Targeted Based on Gender
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 Assumption of protection based on
gender
 Traditional roles and responsibilities
 Escalation of peacetime violence against
women
 Targeted as part of “ethnic cleansing”
 Targeted as a result of the political
activities of male relatives or associates

4. Economic Impact
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 Access to supplies of food, water, medicine
 Maintenance of property
 Food provision for family
 Forced support for military forces
 Move from private to public sphere
 Lack of documentation for property ownership
 Forced evictions
 Inflation
 Sanctions

5. Seven Fundamental Principles
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Humanity
Impartiality
Neutrality
Independence
Voluntary Service
Unity
Universality

6. Introduction to DAPS
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 Dignity
 Access
 Participation
 Safety

7. Dignity
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 Respect for the life and integrity of individuals
 Must take measures to respect, safeguard and promote
the dignity of individuals in situations of extreme
vulnerability
 Humanitarians should protect the psychosocial well-
being of the affected population and ensuring their
physical privacy and specific cultural needs are met

8. Access
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 Access for all individuals and sub-groups within the
affected population: must be informed by a gender and
diversity analysis to ensure that the assistance and
protection reach the most vulnerable
 Four dimensions of accessibility:
 non-discrimination
 physical accessibility
 economic accessibility/affordability
 information accessibility

9. Participation
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 Full, equal and meaningful involvement of all members of the
community in decision-making processes and activities that
affect their lives
 Instead of informing and deciding for people, humanitarians
listen to affected people so that they can identify their own
priorities and preferred outcomes
 Essential for informed decision-making; promotes protection
and reduces feelings of powerlessness; enables
humanitarians to draw on the insights, knowledge,
capacities, skills and resources of affected people

10. Safety
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 Females and males of all ages and backgrounds within affected
communities have different needs in relation to their physical safety
 Gender-based violence: “any harmful act that is perpetrated against a
person’s will and that is based on socially ascribed (i.e. gender)
differences between males and females. It includes acts that inflict
physical, mental, or sexual harm or suffering, threats of such acts,
coercion and other deprivations of liberty, whether occurring in public or in
private life.”
 Child protection: children, especially unaccompanied children, are
among the most vulnerable; they are among the weakest and most
dependent on others for support. Special care and consideration must be
given to ensure that humanitarian programs and operations do not cause
harm to children.

11. Questions?
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