Why Gender

Analysis?

Cluster Inclusion Focal Point Training

16th May 2021
Madhumita Sarkar
Senior GenCap Advisor Somalia
Why Gender Matters in Humanitarian
emergencies?

Crises can increase pre-existing gender

inequalities

Women, girls, men and boys have specific

needs during a crisis

Women, girls, men and boys have specific

viewpoints and capacities
Why is gender equality important in humanitarian
emergencies?

In times of crisis, there is a breakdown of social, community and family structures (increase
in unaccompanied children, women headed households, loss of traditional “protector” –the
male, children sent out to work etc). This can lead to more gendered vulnerability.

There is destruction of or deterioration of services and more gendered obstacles to accessing

services (humanitarians come in to provide markets, hospitals, schools, etc). Are we
causing more gendered vulnerability and making it worse in our actions?

Women and Men respond differently to humanitarian crises

Gender Roles can also change during humanitarian crises (Men are recruited or targeted as
possible combatants; women must work or sometimes become combatants; men lose their
role as breadwinners).
What is Gender Mainstreaming?
Gender Mainstreaming is the process of assessing the
gendered gaps and its implications for all affected people of
any planned action, including policies, programming or
legislation with the ultimate goal of achieving gender
equality.
Gender Analysis- key concepts/issues

• DIFFERENT PEOPLE HAVE

DIFFERENT NEEDS
• ROLES, RELATIONS AND
DYNAMICS
• POWER RELATIONS

• PARTICIPATION AND DECISION

MAKING
• PROTECTION- GBV, AAP, SEA, CP

• LEADERSHIP/EMPOWERMENT
What steps must we take to
Mainstream Gender in
Humanitarian Response ?

IASC Gender Handbook

1. Find gender information
that is already available
 2. Collect gender information since the
crisis began or that is related to the
programme that is not already available.
What Questions do we ask?
• What was the demographic profile of the population disaggregated by sex and age
before the crisis?

• Have gender expectations, roles, responsibilities changed since the onset of crisis?
What are the new roles of women, girls, men and boys and how do they interact? How
much time do these roles require?
• What are the relationship dynamics amongst women, girls, men and boys?

• What were the socioeconomic conditions for women, girls, men and boys before the
crisis?
What Questions do we ask?
•What are the opportunities that were available and accessible
such as access to education, employment, livelihoods, health
services, legal rights and ownership/control of assets, what has
changed?
•Who made important decisions at the household and
community levels?

What structures does the community use to make decisions and

how do women and men participate in these? Are the structures
still functioning since the crisis began?
What Questions do we ask?
•Is there sex, age, disability, minority ( different intersectional issues) -
disaggregated information (quantitative and qualitative) available about
the needs, capacities and/or preferences of the affected community?

• What are the coping capacities of women, girls, men and boys from
different backgrounds?

What protection risks did different groups of women, girls, men and boys
face before the crisis? What information is available about protection
risks since the crisis began or the programme started?
3. Analyse collected gender
information for targeting and
tailoring response
What do we analyze?
• List the distinct capacities, needs and preferences of
women, girls, men and boys. Are they the same as before
the crisis or have they changed?
• List the roles and responsibilities for women, girls, men
and boys. Is there a fair (paid and unpaid) workload
distribution?
• Who makes decisions about the use of resources? Are
needs met equitably?
What do we analyze?
• How do women and men help or hinder each other in
meeting their needs and fulfilling their rights?
• Who perpetrates violence against whom?
• What roles do institutions and the community play in
meeting needs and rights, as well as in addressing and
preventing violence?
• What coping mechanisms do the different sex, age,
disability, minority group ( any other diversity) adopt?
Understanding Intersectionality –
household level
Gender, age disability interact with each other in the
household……..Determines
Who has what kind of needs?

Who does what?

Who has access?

Who participates?

Who takes decisions?

What is the Power relation within the family?

What are the different protection needs?

 1
6

Why SADDD
Matters?

• Collect SADDD collection needs informed analysis. ( include minorities- clan, religion,
• Analysis sexuality, disability where relevant)
• Act With out that analysis, aid simply cannot be impartial.
• Document And with this analysis assistance AND protection can be more effective
and thus more efficient.
Once you know this, and you now do, there really is no justifiable reason
for not moving down this path.
17
 Considerations for Assistance Assessments
CULTURE/DIGNITY IS THE UNDERLYING FACTOR
FOR ALL KINDS OF ASSISTANCE

◦INCLUSION: GENDER AND AGE (INCLUDING DIVERSITY LIKE DISABILITY/ MINORITY ETC) GROUPS
INCLUDED IN ASSESSMENTS. SADDD IS ROUTINELY COLLECTED IN ALL PHASES OF THE PROGRAMME
CYCLE.

◦ACCESS: ARE SERVICES ACCESSIBLE TO ALL (ARE THERE ANY LEFT OUTS BECAUSE OF THEIR SEX/AGE /
DISABILITY/MINORITY STATUS). ISSUES RELATED TO ACCESS ARE DIFFERENT FOR DIFFERENT SECTORS.

◦PARTICIPATION: IN CONSULTATION/FIELD TEAMS/COMMITTEES/THROUGHTOUT THE HUMANITARIAN

PROGRAM CYCLE

◦PROTECTION; SECURITY CONCERNS ACROSS SEX, AGE AND DIVERSITY GROUPS ARE CONSIDERED IN
DESIGN AND DELIVERY OF ASSISTANCE
 Key
message

A. People don’t get the right resources

if you don’t ask what they need and tailor
your response

B. A person’s gender and related age

group (systemic discrimination), disability,
clan affiliations, and other diversities will
affect their needs, the roles they are
expected to play and dynamics with others.
Reflect on…….

What should humanitarians do

to ensure inclusiveness?

What should humanitarians

not do? https://miro.com/app/board/o9J_lEQHbHY=/
Resources
https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/fr/operations/bangladesh/document/gender-handbook-humanitarian-action-2
nd-edition

http://www.gihahandbook.org/

https://trainingcentre.unwomen.org/portal/product/iasc-e-learning-on-gender-equality-in-humanitarian-action/

https://reliefweb.int/report/world/iasc-gender-age-marker-gam-2020-completion

https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/sites/www.humanitarianresponse.info/files/documents/files/rca_iasc_0912201
7_revised_accountability_framework_final_endorsed.pdf

https://interagencystandingcommittee.org/iasc-reference-group-gender-and-humanitarian-action/iasc-policy-and-accou
ntability-framework-gender-equality-and-empowerment-women-and-girls