1. Gender and Diversity Setting the scene for working groups
Supriya Mehta,
Christina Haneef, Leda Tyrrel
redcross.org.au

2. Why should we, as Disaster Managers, care?
We prepare, prevent, respond – we plan for ‘communities’
Images source shutterstock.com

3. Why thinking about gender and diversity matters in communities
20% of women of reproductive age (i.e. 15 to 45 years), are pregnant at any given time
Around 15% of the total world's population live with a disability
8% of world’s population is aged over 65 years
Being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex is illegal in 76 countries
Every 10 minutes, somewhere in the world, an adolescent girl dies as a result of violence
35% of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.
IFRC slides (data from various sources)
Source: Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere Inc. (2002) Moving from Emergency Response to Comprehensive Reproductive Health Programs: A Modular Training Series.
Washington, DC: CARE.
15% of the world's population, have some form of disability.
Source: WHO Disability and health Fact sheet N°352 Reviewed December 2014
76 countries retain laws that are used to criminalize people on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Source: “State-sponsored homophobia: a world survey of laws criminalising same-sex sexual acts between consenting adults”, International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Association (ILGA), Brussels, May 2011, p. 9
See the countries here
Source: UNICEF 2014
35% of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetimeUpdated January

4. Why it matters in our approach to disasters?
Women, girls and boys are 14 times more likely to die during a disaster than are men Indian Ocean Tsunami, % fatalities women Japan earthquake 65% of casualties 60+ Violence increases following disasters (research has shown 6-300% increase in violence against women)
Accountability
Do no harm
So we know now we can analyse what already exist and here are some reasons why it is so important:
Evidence:
More than 70% of those that died in the Asia Tsunami were women (it was 80+% females in some areas affected by the Tsunami)
News Article:
Oxfam Report: Women and the Tsunami
In three of the affected areas of the 2011 Japan earthquake/ tsunami, 65% of casualties were over the age of 60
Cyclone Nargis, 2008, World Bank
These are huge disparities and highlights the vulnerabilities to disasters of some groups as well as the disproportionate gendered impacts of disasters. As humanitarian actors we need to approach our work with a GD lens to minimise or mitigate this gap.
If we do we will be truly accountable to the communities we work for & we will address the needs of the most vulnerable. The quality of our response and the services we provide will increase and be cost effective ie. not delivering the wrong type of aid to the wrong people.
We will also be upholding out FP especially impartiality
Key message: Disasters and emergencies are not gender-neutral and therefore neither should the programmes and services that aim to address them
Address vulnerability
Fundamental Principles

5. What should we do?
Consider Gender and Diversity at every step of disaster management Cycle

6. How can we consider Gender and Diversity in DM Cycle?
Tools and resources
Gender sensitive approaches for DM –
Integrating gender into DM cycle

7. Minimum Standard Commitments to Gender and Diversity
Minimum Standard Commitments to Gender and Diversity in Emergency Programming Seven sectors – health, food, WASH, shelter (and settlements), livelihoods, NFIs Four Commitments (with corresponding standards) D – dignity A – access P – participation S - safety
Includes guidance on:
Needs assessment
Beneficiary selection and prioritisation criteria
Minimum standard commitments (2015 pilot)
- Operational guidance for IFRC and National Societies
Focuses on seven sectors – Health, Shelter, WASH, Food security, NFIs, DRR, Livelihoods and provides clear guidance under the framework of ensuring dignity access participation and safety.
This has been used in Nepal after the earthquake to ensure GD is mainstreamed across our response.
Guidance is applicable in DRR/Preparedness, response and recovery programmes

8. Session 5: Working Groups
What Gender and Diversity issues might we consider in talking about:
Cooperation and Coordination for Response and Recovery
Urbanisation and Climate Change
Community Resilience: Integrated and multi-sectoral approach
Institutional DM Capacity Enhancement
Why and how?
Are we doing enough?

9. G&D in cooperation and coordination for response and recovery
Who is affected? Why and how are they affected? What are their distinct needs, protection concerns and priorities?
Sex- and age-disaggregated data (SADD), Gender analysis
Diversity analysis
Do-no-harm – Preventing exploitation and abuse
Accountability and standards to prevent and respond to reports of sexual exploitation and abuse
Code of Conduct and Child Protection Policy.
The ‘safety’ section in the minimum standards highlights guidance on internal protection systems and how to apply this to our work
We can use secondary data such as in the ‘crowd photo’, to do a rapid GD analysis even before arriving in a country to respond. We must also continue to conduct needs assessments underlined by a GD analysis.
This includes collection and analysis of SADD as mandatory but also taking it a step further to understand the context and the roles and relationships between men and women. This will allow us to design programmes and services that are practical and appropriate and ensure no one gets left behind.

10. Gender and Diversity in Urbanisation, Climate Change, Community resilience
Both events lead to greater marginalisation – knowing where the greatest vulnerabilities are, is essential
Community based programs must allow for greater participation
Safer and resilient communities can only be achieved when everyone in the community is reached

11. Gender and Diversity in Institutional readiness
Strengths based approach to volunteer recruitment
Training for knowledge-attitude-practice shift
Systems in place to prevent exploitation and abuse

12. Summary – key messages
Gender and Diversity is everyone’s responsibility (impartiality)
Must be considered through the disaster management cycle
Use the tools and resources available – including gender focal points nearest to you