Women
© UNHCR/F. Scoppa
In some societies, women and girls face discrimination and violence every day, simply because of their gender. An ordinary task like collecting water or going to the toilet can put them at risk of rape or abuse.
In times of displacement, this problem escalates. Women and girls make up around 50 per cent of any refugee, internally displaced or stateless population, and those who are unaccompanied, pregnant, heads of households, disabled or elderly are especially vulnerable.
At UNHCR, we work hard to ease their struggle, ensuring safe shelters that offer privacy, assistance with construction or maintenance, fair food distribution systems and separate sanitation facilities. We also manage programmes that help women to improve their leadership skills, overcome barriers to education, and access opportunities.
Our work builds upon women’s own resilience and strength, and helps them to improve their lives, as well as those of their children, families and communities, every single day.
Who we work with
UNHCR is just one of many organizations working around the world to help displaced women and girls.
We take part in a number of inter-agency fora that address gender issues and sexual violence, such as the UN Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee's Sub-Working Group on Gender. The UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict, gathering UNHCR and other UN agencies, was set up to highlight and create awareness of abuses against women and, ultimately, to end sexual violence and make the world safer for women and girls.
UNHCR Policy
- Tackling Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment, UNHCR’s 2020-2022 Strategy and Action Plan
- List of all UNHCR Age, Gender and Diversity Accountability reports
Bridging the gender digital gap
International Women's Day 2023 – UNHCR Innovation Service
'Network Guardians' help to bridge gender digital gap in Ecuadorian neighbourhood
Bridging the gender digital divide articles
- 8 ways we're dismantling the digital gender divide
- 'Network Guardians' help to bridge gender digital gap in Ecuadorian neighbourhood
Further resources
Gender-based Violence
Gender-based violence (GBV) is a violation of human rights. It denies a person dignity and hurts human development.
UNHCR marks International Women's Day 2017: Refugees and staff explain why they support women's right to work
UNHCR's Good Practices
- Learning from experience to advance gender equality - promising practices in Asia
- Urban Refugee Women's Network – Turkey (2017)
- Sector Gender Focal Points Network – Jordan (2017)
- LGBTI Youth Group – Lebanon (2017)
- Building Capacity for Protection of LGBTI PoC – Jordan (2017)
- Mobile SGBV Prevention and Response Services – Lebanon (2017)
- Art Therapy to Prevent and Respond to SGBV – Egypt (2017)
- Emergency Shelter for Women and Girls – Lebanon (2017)
- Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response in Refugee Situations in the Middle East and North Africa (2015)
- Age, Gender and Diversity Good Practices in the Americas (2015)
- Speaking for Ourselves: Hearing Refugee Voices (2014)
- Dialogues with Refugee Women (2013)
- Age, Gender and Diversity Best Practice Compilation (2012)
- Survivors, Protectors, Providers: Refugee Women Speak Out (2011)
Handbooks and other resources
- UNHCR Gender Equality Toolkit
- Tackling sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment at UNHCR
- UNHCR's Commitment to Gender Equality
- From 1975 to 2013: UNHCR's Gender Equality Chronology
- IASC Gender Handbook in Humanitarian Action
- UNHCR Handbook for the Protection of Women and Girls
- UNHCR Gender Training Kit on Refugee Protection and Resource Handbook
- Refworld special feature on Gender Equality and Women
- Tearing down the walls – Confronting the barriers to internally displaced women and girls' participation in humanitarian settings
Publications
- Gender, Displacement and Climate Change Factsheet (2022)
- Protection Forcibly Displaced Women and Girls During the COVID-19 Pandemic (2021)
- Protecting Forcibly Displaced Women and Girls during the COVID-19 Pandemic (2020)
- Background Note on Gender Equality, Nationality Laws and Statelessness 2022
- Cash Assistance and Gender - Key Considerations and Learning
Gender Audits
- 2017 Gender Audit Report on the Second and Third Thematic Discussion on the Global Compact on Refugees
- Gender Audit of the Meetings in Preparation for the 2019 Global Refugee Forum
- Gender Audit of the 2019 Global Refugee Forum
- Combined Gender Audit Report of the Five meetings comprising the 2020 High Commissioners Dialogue on Protection Challenges: Protection and Resilience during pandemics and the 2020 NGO Consultations
- Gender Audit of the 2020 High Commissioner's Dialogue on Protection Challenges: Protection and Resilience during Pandemics
International Gender Champions
- Filippo Grandi, High Commissioner
- Clementine Nkweta-Salami, Regional Director for the East, Horn and Great Lakes Regions of Africa