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Why this report?
The difference in the impact of natural and man-made disasters on women, girls, men and boys can be shocking. An example is that 90% of the nearly 140,000 deaths reported in the 1991 Bangladesh cyclone were women. Women and girls consistently suffer greater loss of life in crises, not only in poor low-income countries but also in high-income countries.
Globally, social injustice and gender inequality leave women highly vulnerable and disempowered to protect themselves during disasters and to reduce their risk to future disasters. Women and girls struggle to be heard and to be given the opportunity to make decisions that could save themselves and their families and communities during disasters. The past decade has witnessed an increased focus by the humanitarian community on developing gender sensitive approaches and building capacity for strengthening gender equality in emergency programming. However, there still remains significant room for strengthening accountability on delivering and measuring impactful gender equality throughout humanitarian action.
Recognizing that women and girls are often left behind, as part of its overall goal of reaching over 20 million people affected by humanitarian crises by 2020, CARE emphasizes reaching and empowering women and girls affected by crises. Working with its partners, CARE commits to taking a leadership role in delivering and advocating for enhanced accountability in gender sensitive and equitable humanitarian programming within the humanitarian system.
Over the past five years CARE has invested significantly in working on gender in emergencies. Building on and contributing to the Inter-Agency Standing Committee’s (IASC) gender work, the tools, approaches and capacities developed by CARE have strengthened the impact, relevance and effectiveness of its emergency programming. This report demonstrates CARE’s progress on its gender in emergency (GiE) work, and highlights the impact and importance of gender sensitive and equality approaches for ensuring that women and girls are reached and empowered through humanitarian action.
As a member of the global humanitarian community, CARE believes that all stakeholders must be held accountable and make the investments necessary to ensure that the humanitarian system commits to gender equality through its actions. CARE recognizes it must continue to lead and contribute towards guaranteeing that globally humanitarianism plays an essential role in overcoming social injustices and inequality.
The report supports the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit’s call for action and transformation that is central to the theme of ‘Leave no one behind’. CARE shares this report with the humanitarian community with the hope of encouraging greater accountability, commitment and collaboration in making emergency preparedness and responses work for all women, girls, men and boys.
Sofia Sprechmann, Program Director and Barbara Jackson, Humanitarian Director CARE International
May 2016