Frequently Asked Questions on Gender Equality
- What is OCHA's policy on gender equality?
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Displaced Sierra Leonean women with nurse at Health Centre in Lungi
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- Why does OCHA need a policy on gender equality?
- What does OCHA mean by 'gender mainstreaming'?
- What does OCHA mean by 'gender balance'?
- What is the role of OCHA's gender adviser?
- What are gender focal points?
- What is OCHA's Gender Action Plan?
- What is included in OCHA's gender tool kit?
- How does OCHA work with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee to ensure gender equality?
What is OCHA’s Policy on Gender Equality?
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OCHA’s mission:
- to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors in order to alleviate human suffering,
- to advocate for the rights of all people in need,
- to promote preparedness and prevention and facilitate sustainable solutions.
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To accomplish its mission, OCHA is committed to working towards the goal of gender equality. Pervasive gender inequalities undermine the ability of women and girls to exercise their rights and be active partners in emergency response, rehabilitation and development.
OCHA’s policy on gender equality does not seek to duplicate the work of other agencies. OCHA recognizes that other humanitarian actors also have expertise, policy commitments and responsibilities in this area.
Why does OCHA need a policy on gender equality?
There are several reasons:
First, there is growing evidence that understanding gender relations and inequalities can help improve humanitarian assistance. Not all people are vulnerable in the same way; nor do they have the same capacities. Although varying from place to place, women tend to have greater responsibilities for children and the home while men have greater exposure to actors outside of the home. There can also be significant differences between women and men regarding access to education or in confidence when addressing political authorities. Understanding these differences and inequalities can help identify needs, target assistance and ensure that the needs of the vulnerable are met.
Second, within the UN system, there are commitments to using a gender perspective and working towards greater equality between women and men. These include Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) and the ECOSOC resolution on gender mainstreaming. Other commitments have been made by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, by governments and by international organizations engaged in humanitarian assistance. OCHA’s policy is also related to fulfilling these commitments.
Third, evaluations have pointed out that gender mainstreaming has been a neglected area of humanitarian assistance. Many development agencies have a history of working on gender issues but progress has been slower in the humanitarian assistance community. Thus there is a need to invest resources and make progress on this issue.
What does OCHA mean by ‘gender mainstreaming’?
OCHA follows the definition of ‘gender mainstreaming’ agreed to and used by the United Nations.
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The strategy of mainstreaming is defined in the ECOSOC agreed conclusions, 1997/2, as “…the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in all areas and at all levels. It is a strategy for making women’s as well as men’s concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and societal spheres so that women and men benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated. The ultimate goal is to achieve gender equality.”
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What does OCHA mean by “gender balance”?
While all efforts to ensure equality between men and women are included in OCHA’s work to promote gender equality, OCHA – like many other organizations – has decided to treat these two issues separately.
Gender mainstreaming refers to how OCHA works on gender issues in its substantive work. Gender mainstreaming is seen as a policy issue.
Gender balance is the term given to issues relating to staffing. Gender balance is seen as a human resources issue and is dealt with under those structures.
OCHA seeks to ensure women and men have equal access to employment and promotions. OCHA has a departmental focal point for women who works on gender-balance issues along with human resource staff.
Contact OCHA's Focal point for Women: Ms. Agnes Asekenye-Oonyu and Ms. Michelle Morris.
What is the role of OCHA’s gender adviser?
OCHA developed its gender policy and action plan in late 2004. They realized that they needed someone on a full-time basis to assist and guide in implementing the policy and action plan. OCHA hired its first gender adviser at a senior level in March 2005. The Terms of Reference for OCHA’s Gender Adviser, who sits in the Policy Development and Studies Branch in New York, are to:
- Provide authoritative technical and policy advice to OCHA and other agencies in the UN system, Member State officials, international and regional organizations on the issue of gender mainstreaming in humanitarian, emergency relief and disaster response/management efforts
- Monitor the performance of the institution in mainstreaming gender in its humanitarian mandate influence the development and evolution of OCHA’s approach to integrating gender concerns in humanitarian affairs; design and implement significant policy and programme changes to including gender considerations in OCHA's activities
- Ensure implementation, monitoring and evaluation of OCHA’s policy and plan of action on gender mainstreaming
- Provide guidance and support to OCHA headquarters and field personnel on gender mainstreaming in humanitarian affairs
- Lead capacity building initiatives with regard to gender mainstreaming in humanitarian activities;
- Serve as primary liaison with non-UN entities, including senior host government officials, donor representatives, NGO officials, the media, etc., in emergency situations
- Direct and support OCHA’s network of gender focal points, both in headquarters and in the field
- Chair the inter-agency task force on gender and humanitarian assistance and represent OCHA in other relevant inter-agency fora
- Initiate, supervise and finalize position papers, reports, policy guidelines, statements and presentations on gender issues
What are gender focal points?
Each OCHA branch and field-based office will nominate a gender focal point who will act as the point of contact on gender mainstreaming in humanitarian assistance for the branch/field office and be a catalyst within the branch/field office on gender issues (i.e. raise awareness, advocate for resources, etc. rather than assume total responsibility for all gender-related actions). Gender Tool Number 7 (link)
What is OCHA's Gender Action Plan?
OCHA issued its policy on gender equality in 2005 recognising that its successful implementation is a shared responsibility of all OCHA staff. The 2007- 2008 gender action plan details specific branch and field office actions to implement the policy, and has been endorsed by the OCHA senior management team. The present plan is a revision based on reports submitted in January-March 2008. An end-of cycle report for the two years of implementation will be produced in January 2009.
What is included in OCHA’s gender tool kit?
OCHA, working in some cases with the IASC Gender and Humanitarian Assistance Taskforce, has developed a number of field-friendly tools that can assist OCHA staff and partners to integrate gender issues in a variety of humanitarian activities.
OCHA Tool Kit - Gender Equality
The tool kit includes:
General tools for all OCHA staff
1. Definitions related to gender equality
2. International mandates related to gender equality
3. Frequently asked questions on gender mainstreaming in humanitarian assistance
4. Case studies on how gender mainstreaming improves humanitarian assistance
Tools for humanitarian response and coordination
5. Responsibilities of gender mainstreaming in the Humanitarian Coordinator’s terms of reference
6. Responsibilities and potential initiatives for OCHA field offices relating to gender mainstreaming
7. Terms of reference for field/branch gender focal points
Tools for information management and analysis
8. Engendering a situation report
9. Checklist for strengthening gender mainstreaming in the CAP
10. Sources and types of documents on gender issues to be included in the Humanitarian Information Centres
How does OCHA work with the IASC to ensure gender equality?
OCHA, has taken the lead on 3 components of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Sub-working Group on Gender and Humanitarian Assistance: