1 / 14

Gender Impact in the Haiti Emergency

Explore the role of gender in the humanitarian response to the Haiti emergency. Assess the impact on the ground and the effectiveness of gender strategies and coordination efforts.

lethia
Download Presentation

Gender Impact in the Haiti Emergency

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Gender Impact in the Haiti Emergency Halvor Sætre, Deputy Director General, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs www.norway.info

  2. The role of the humanitarian ”donor” • Political and diplomatic leverage • Analytical capacity and strategy • Financial power and support • Dialogue and cooperation • Limited field presence

  3. Some general results • Inter Agency guidelines on gender in emergencies and on sexual and gender based violence • Gender strategies in UN and non-governmental humanitarian organisations • More use of gender and age differentiated data • More focus on inter-agency approaches • Establishment and use of standby capacity (GENCAP) • More systematic gender training, e-learning courses • Higher political profile in multilateral bodies • More acceptance • But: what is the impact on the ground?

  4. Haiti. Facts • Huge pre-earthquake challenges • 230 000 people killed • 2 million displaced in 1200 camps • The capital, the State aparatus paralysed • The UN paralysed – 100 killed ……………………………………………………………………………... • Massive relief operation has kept people alive, avoided epidemics and major social unrest • Political, physical and economical reconstruction has started • Norway: pledged 800 mill. kroner (130 mill USD) • Member of the Haiti Interim Recovery Commission

  5. Our approch to gender in the Haiti Emergency • Pre-existing capital: better gender awareness in humanitarian organisations, better tools (Clusters, Gencap, IASC Handbook etc). • Strong focus on protection issues in policy statements and emergency contributions • Broad gender approach: Minister Solheim’s visit, integrate in our development priorities • Promoted gender in the Haiti Interim Recovery Commission • Will send Norwegian police unit to work against SGBV

  6. Meeting Women’s Groups Minister Solheim in Port au Prince in April 2010

  7. Meeting Kate Burns (OCHA) and OHCHR on protection Minister Solheim, SG Børge Brende (Norwegian Red Cross) and Anne Kristin Sydnes (Norwegian Church Aid)

  8. Did it work on the ground? Some impressions • Strong work on child protection led by UNICEF: family reunification, child friendly spaces in camps, back-to-school programmes • Measures against gender-based violence: joint assessments and increased police patrolling, with MINUSTAH and National Police • Lighting of camps to prevent GBV • Including women in camp management • Solid gender approach in the emergency health sector • 40 % target of women in UNDP cashfor work-programmes

  9. Women collecting water in Terrain Acre camp

  10. Dominican-Haitian reforestation Project: Women play key role

  11. Gender in Haiti: Tentative conclusions • Improved gender awareness gave concrete results in the Haiti response • Many activities were gender sensitive – many ”without knowing” • No systematic gender strategy accross the board • Gender impact suffered from general weaknessess in the UN-led system • Too little coordination (or too much?) • Too little strategic leadership in the UN (no HC, no OCHA leader) • Too many projects and too few programmes • Short rotations of people • The protection cluster worked accross divides • OHCHR important role, but little operational capacity • Cooperation with the security sector suffered from the start, but improved • Gencap proved to be an important tool • Gender advisors are important, but risk becoming figue leaves with little influence

  12. UN Coordination: too little or too much? 93 weekly meetings The UN’s Meeting Room

  13. Points for discussion • General: A strong UN increases gender impact • OCHA has been leading, other UN agencies have followed reluctantly • The Red Cross and NGOs have become more gender sensitive • Haiti: The UN is leading in the humanitarian efforts, but sidelined in the reconstruction process • UN member of the Haiti Interim Recovery Commission, but not leading • UNDP should take strategic lead on gender in the reconstruction phase • General: Gender mainstreaming suffers from unclear messages • Is it really not only about women? • Do you really want men to have key positions in this field?

  14. Who is gender about? www.norway.info

More Related