Evaluating Gender-Transformative Programming in Humanitarian Aid

Abstract

Since the United Nations Resolution 1325 was passed, the humanitarian community has developed guidelines and tools to assist practitioners in designing and implementing more gender-sensitive and gender-inclusive programs. However, in practice, the operationalization of gender-inclusive approaches is often pro forma, peripheral, or an add-on to existing and predetermined programming efforts. This research project, undertaken in partnership with the Women's Refugee Commission (WRC), a leading organization committed to addressing the unique needs of women, children, and youth displaced by conflict and crisis, seeks to determine the barriers faced by program staff when implementing gender-transformative programming. The study includes a desk review of existing literature regarding this kind of programming in humanitarian aid, and qualitative interviews with gender experts in the aid sector to fill in any gaps found in the literature. Through the desk review, there are two cluster focuses, food security and sexual and reproductive health, along with two crisis focuses, the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and internally displaced peoples in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The desk review was used to formulate the interview guide for the expert interviews. Based on the findings of the literature review, case studies and the interviews, we formulated recommendations to implement effective gender-transformative programs.