How does OCHA work with the IASC to ensure gender equality?

OCHA, along with the World Health Oranization, has been the co-chair of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Taskforce on gender and humanitarian assistance. In November 2006 the taskforce was converted into a permanent sub-working group of the IASC and OCHA handed over its chairmanship to the United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA). The sub-working group provides technical support to the IASC and works to ensure gender mainstreaming in the Cluster Approach, and in humanitarian emergency response in general. The group meets regularly and has an annual workplan.More information is available on www.humanitarianreform.org/gender and the IASC Sub-Working Group on Gender website.

Recent outputs of the work of the Sub-working Group on Gender include: 

• Regional Gender Equality and GBV trainings for cluster actors
• The Gender Standby Capacity Project (GenCap)
• IASC Gender Handbook in Humanitarian Action: Women, Girls, Boys and Men - Different Needs, Equal Opportunities (December 2006)
• IASC 5 Ways Proposal to Strengthen Gender Mainstreaming in Humanitarian Action - an Appeal for Funding (October 2006)  
• IASC Guidelines on Gender-based Violence in Humanitarian Settings: Focusing on Sexual Violence (2005)
• IASC Statement on Gender-based Violence (2005)
• IASC Matrix on the Review of the Gender Policy (2004)
• IASC Gender Policy (1999)

The IASC Sub-working Group on gender is currently recruiting gender advisers for deployment in humaitarian emergencies. Please click here for information on application procedures.

Full workplan for 2007 and progress report for 2006.

The IASC Sub-Working Group includes representatives from:

• Food and Agriculture Organziation (FAO)
  International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
  International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
  Interaction
  International Organizaiton for Migration (IOM)
  OCHA
  Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
  Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of  Women (OSAGI)
  OXFAM (English)
  United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
  United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
  United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
  United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
  United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
  World Food Programme (WFP)
  World Health Organization (WHO)
  Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children

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