EUROSTEP (European Solidarity Towards Equal Participation of People) Gender and Humanitarian Assistance, an Eurostep Paper

Disasters impact upon women and men differently. Women have specific needs in terms of their reproductive health, physical safety (including rape and abuse) and the welfare of their children and families. Only recently have such gender specific needs been accounted for, but much still needs to be done. In this paper, Eurostep analyses strengths and weaknesses of current practice to include women in emergency responses and suggests recommendations for gender sensitive planning. These include women's participation in planning, implementing and monitoring emergency programmes; listening to women's needs and respecting local views and resources and institutional strengthening. Eurostep also suggests separate and specific recommendations for donor NGOs, donor agencies and policy-making bodies (i.e. introducing gender structures and policies within donor and policy-making bodies, and supporting local capacity building in developing policy, skills and procedures which facilitate good gender practice).