Funding for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in humanitarian programming

Women and girls are negatively and disproportionately impacted by disasters and conflict. These crises affect their life expectancy, education, maternal health, livelihoods, nutrition, and the levels of violence they experience. At the same time, women are also often first responders and leaders in humanitarian response, though they are often portrayed only as victims and passive beneficiaries of aid.

To ensure that the specific needs and rights of crisis-affected women and girls are met, and to achieve effective—as well as rights-based—humanitarian outcomes, it is essential that we have clarity on existing levels of funding for women and girls in humanitarian programming and to what extent that funding meets the requested needs.

To this end, UN Women and UNFPA conducted a research study on “Funding for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls [GEEWG] in humanitarian programming”.  The study is based on global desk research and case study focus on Bangladesh, Jordan, Nigeria, and Somalia (including field visits to Somalia and Bangladesh), and ascertains existing funding flows—and the impact of any shortfall—to GEEWG in humanitarian action, including the levels of funding requested, funding received, and the consequences of the funding gap.