Gender Equality and Women
Refworld documents related to gender equality and women, including legal, policy and background information. This "Special Feature" on gender equality and women is regularly maintained and contains legal, policy and operational material.
Legal Documents Related to Gender Equality and Women
- Resolution 1820 (2008) [on women and peace and security], Adopted by the Security Council at its 5916th meeting, 19 June 2008
- Resolution 2005/31 on Mainstreaming a Gender Perspective Into All Policies and Programmes in the United Nations System, Adopted by the UN Economic and Social Council at its 39th plenary meeting, 26 July 2005
- Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, Supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, 15 November 2000
- Resolution 1325 (2000) [on women and peace and security], Adopted by the UN Security Council at its 4213th meeting, S/RES/1325 (2000), 31 October 2000
- Agreed Conclusions 1997/2, Adopted by the UN Economic and Social Council on 18 July 1997, and as contained in A/52/3/Rev.1, "Report of the Economic and Social Council for 1997"
- Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, General Assembly resolution A/RES/48/104, 20 December 1993
- Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, 18 December 1979, and its Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (6 October 1999)
- Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, General Assembly resolution A/RES/2263, 7 November 1967
- Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages, 7 November 1962
- Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others, 2 December 1949
UNHCR Policy Documents Related to Gender Equality and Women
- UNHCR Handbook for the Protection of Women and Girls, UNHCR, First edition, January 2008
- Secretary-General's Bulletin: Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, ST/SGB/2003/13, 9 October 2003
- Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Against Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons. Guidelines for Prevention and Response, May 2003 (also available in French)
- Guidelines on International Protection No. 1: Gender-Related Persecution Within the Context of Article 1A(2) of the 1951 Convention and/or its 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, HCR/GIP/02/01, 7 May 2002
- UNHCR's Commitments to Refugee Women, 12 December 2001
- UNHCR Policy on Harmful Traditional Practices (Annexes) , 19 December 1997
- UNHCR Policy on Refugee Women, 20 August 1990
UNHCR ExCom and Standing Committee
At many occasions, UNHCR's Executive Committee has dealt with issues relating to gender equality and women.
- Report on the High Commissioner's Five Commitments to Refugee Women, EC/55/SC/CRP.17, 13 June 2005
- Refugee Women and Mainstreaming a Gender Equality Perspective, EC/51/SC/CRP.17, 30 May 2001
- Progress Report on Refugee Women, SC/1998/INF.1, 25 May 1998
- Progress Report on Refugee Women and UNHCR's Framework for Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, EC/47/SC/CRP.45, 15 August 1997
- Executive Committee Conclusion No. 105 (LVI) - 2006 on Women and Girls at Risk, 6 October 2006 (also available in French)
- Executive Committee Conclusion No. 60 (XL) - 1989 on Refugee Women, 13 October 1989 (also available in French)
- Executive Committee Conclusions relating to age, gender and diversity mainstreaming
- Executive Committee Conclusions relating to sexual violence
- Executive Committee Conclusions relating to women
Other Policy Documents Related to Gender Equality and Women
- Report of the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its Causes and Consequences, Yakin Ertürk : addendum : 15 years of the United Nations SR on violence against women, its causes and consequences (1994-2009): a critical review, United Nations Human Rights Council, A/HRC/11/6/Add.5, 27 May 2009
- Progress of the World's Women 2008/2009: Who Answers to Women? Gender & Accountability, United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), September 2008
Documents Related to Gender Equality and Women
- All reports relating to women-at-risk by all sources
- All reports relating to gender-related persecution by all sources
- All reports of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
- All reports of the UN Human Rights Council relating to women
- All reports of the UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- All reports of the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- All reports of the UN Commission on Human Rights relating to women
Related UNHCR Links
Related Internet Links
- United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)
- United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
- UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UNWOMEN)
- United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
- United Nations Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- WomenWatch: UN Information and Resources on Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women
- Amnesty International: Stop Violence Against Women
- Human Rights Watch: Women's Human Rights
- Stop Rape Now
- Women's Refugee Commission
- International Organization for Migration - IOM & Gender
- Status of Women Canada (SWC)
- UNOG Library Research Guide on Women and Gender Equality
Country and Region Specific Situations
- Initial Assessment Report: Protection Risks for Women and Girls in the European Refugee and Migrant Crisis - Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, 20 January 2016
- UNHCR's Contribution to the European Commission's Consultation on Female Genital Mutilation in the EU, May 2013
- Concluding observations adopted by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
- States Parties reports to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
Field Practices
- Training Sessions on Human and Women's Rights to address Violence against Persons accused of Witchcraft, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, August 2012
- Multi-Functional Teams of government and refugee representatives, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, August 2012
- Community Centre for Refugee Women and Children, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, August 2012
- Youth Empowerment Centres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, August 2012
- SGBV Protection and Social Services Programme - Community Task Forces, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, August 2012
- Awareness-raising in schools on child abuse, neglect and exploitation, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, August 2012
- Refugee Community Outreach Workers Trained to Detect and Respond to SGBV, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, August 2012
- Workshops with journalists and media professionals on respectful and sensitive, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, August 2012
- Community Outreach involving several refugee stakeholders, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, August 2012
- Distribution of SGBV awareness-raising brochures by policemen, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, August 2012
- Training Programmes for Women, Men and Youths, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, August 2012
- Refugee Recyclers, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, August 2012
- Psychotherapeutic Support for Women and their Families, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, August 2012
- Mentor-Mentee Program, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, October 2012
- Child Protection Network (Early Childhood Development Center) Nepal, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, August 2012
- Child Protection Network (Community-based Child Care Center) Nepal, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, August 2012
- Réintégration Économique des Femmes et Filles Refugiées dans des Centres Urbaines - RDC, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, August 2012
- Legal Aid provided by Law students: Access to justice, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, August 2012
- Mobile Registration and Documentation Unit: Individual Registration, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, August 2012
- Animation Tool "My Body, My Territory' & Complementary SGBV Resources: SGBV, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, August 2012
- Community day care centres managed by refugee women: Self-reliance - Child Protection - Local Integration, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, August 2012
- Instructive material on refugee issues created by youths: Public Attitudes towards Refugees - Youth Engagement, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, August 2012
- Protection network of women's organizations and safe houses for SGBV survivors: SGBV - Shelter - Access to Justice, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, August 2012
- Refugees' Radio Broadcast "El Río Habla": Public Attitudes towards Refugees - Security - Local Integration, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, August 2012
Tools
- The Heightened Risk Identification Tool (and User Guide), First (Revised) Edition, UNHCR, June 2008 (in French)
- Women, Girls, Boys and Men: Different Needs - Equal Opportunities. IASC Gender Handbook in Humanitarian Action, IASC, December 2006
- UNHCR Tool for Participatory Assessment in Operations, May 2006
- Masculinities: Male Roles and Male Involvement in the Promotion of Gender Equality. A Resource Packet, Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children, September 2005
- Clinical Management of Survivors of Rape. A Guide to the Development of Protocols for Use in Refugee and Internally Displaced Person Situations, WHO and UNHCR, January 2005
- UNHCR Gender Training Kit on Refugee Protection and Resource Handbook, December 2002
- Respect Our Rights: Partnership for Equality. Report on the Dialogue with Refugee Women, Geneva, Switzerland 20-22 June 2001, December 2001
- Good Practices in Gender Equality Mainstreaming. A Practical Guide to Empowerment, UNHCR, June 2001
- Prevention and Response to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Refugee Situations. Inter-Agency Lessons Learned Conference Proceedings, 27-29 March 2001, Geneva
- Reproductive Health in Refugee Situations. An Inter-Agency Field Manual, 1999
- Leadership Training for Young Refugee Women
