Rapid Gender Analysis

Northeast Syria: Rapid Gender Analysis Brief Ar-Raqqa, Deir Ez Zor and Al-Hasakah Governorates

The military escalation between 26 November to 8 December led to the fall of the Assad regime, which has been in power for over five decades, leading to a historic transition period in the region with many unknowns.1 Northeast Syria (NES) has faced continued socio-economic instability and a multitude of compounding crises related to conflict and climate disasters, which has disproportionately affected women and girls of diverse identities (i.e. female-headed households, widows, older women, adolescents, and those living with disability). Prior to the transition, over 2.6 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance in NES,2 and approximately 165,000 individuals lived in 253 IDP sites, of whom 57% were under the age of 18 and 56% were female.3 Since November 27th, an estimated 100,000 people (including 23,000 people fleeing violence in Lebanon4) have arrived in Ar-Raqqa and Al-Hasakah governorates seeking refuge from escalating hostilities across the region, with only 8% of assessed households knowing their intended destination.5
Access to services remains challenging due to various factors such as political unrest, roadblocks by armed groups, supply chain coordination difficulties, limited availability of frontline workers, heightened security threats and curfews, particularly in Al-Hasakah and Ar-Raqqa governorates.6 This civil unrest and population shifts will strain already limited humanitarian services and resources, putting vulnerable populations such as children, people with disabilities, older people, and pregnant and lactating women at greater risk. Emergency collective centers in Tabqa and Raqqa have already reached full capacity, and it is anticipated that more schools in Raqqa, Hasakah, Tabqa, Kobani, and Qamishli will be repurposed as shelters, further interrupting education across the region.7 Furthermore, increased hostilities and political uncertainty may impact women’s participation in political and leadership spaces.
This analysis highlights pre-existing and emerging vulnerabilities and risks within the Ar-Raqqa, Deir Ez Zor, and Al-Hasakah governorates with a focus on gender and age data to inform humanitarian programming in the early stages of the crisis. The Rapid Gender Analysis (RGA) methodology is designed to be built progressively and adapted to the shorter time frames, rapidly changing contexts and insecure environments that often characterize humanitarian interventions. Thus, as more information becomes available and the security situation allows, further data will be incorporated into this analysis. Read More...

GENDER, PROTECTION AND SAFETY RISK ASSESSMENT REPORT NOVEMBER 2024 BORNO STATE JERE, MMC AND NGALA LGA

In September 2024, a flash flood that resulted from the failure of the Alau dam in Konduga Local Government
Area (LGA), rendered at least 400,000 individuals homeless in Borno state.[1] Maiduguri and Jere were among the
most affected LGAs with about 240,000 individuals affected across the two LGAs within the first 48 hours of the
flood.[2] Following this, Ngala LGA experienced an overflow of the river Yadzaram which coupled with the collapse
of the Alau dam in Konduga led to flooding in Ngala and Diwka.[3] The floods have had far reaching multi-sectoral
implications that threatened to roll back the gains achieved by humanitarian and development efforts in Borno
state, over the last decade, more so, it compounded already existing inequalities, obstructed supply chain
thereby limiting access to lifesaving assistance, worsened health, hygiene and sanitation gaps, and increased
vulnerabilities and negative coping strategies.[3]
In response to this emergency, CARE Nigeria received funding from the Dutch Relief Alliance (DRA), the Gates
Foundation and CARE’s Humanitarian Surge Fund (HSF) to implement emergency protection, food security and
nutrition intervention, WASH support and prevention and response to gender based violence, in Maiduguri, Jere
and Ngala LGAs. Funding from DRA was planned to support vulnerable communities in Maiduguri and Ngala while
the HSF and Gates Foundation funding was planned to reach flood affected communities in Jere LGA. These
responses were designed and are being guided by CARE Nigeria Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP) reviewed in
2024.
As is the case with all our interventions, gender and protection remain central. We understand that in crisis
situations gender gaps widen and gender-based violence become pervasive. On this response, CARE has carefully
designed a gender and protection mainstreaming approach that utilizes evidence to ensure the adequate
integration of appropriate gender and protection activities that will reduce vulnerability, sustain our impact and
lead to more transformed communities who are better equipped to be resilient and self-sustaining. To do this,
CARE commissioned a gender, protection and safety risk assessment to inform on vulnerabilities, risks and gaps,
and with that, proffer tailored messages and activities that seek to address the issues identified Read More...

Rafah Governorate: Deception, Destruction & Death in the “Safe” Zone Rapid Gender Analysis

The ongoing crisis in the Gaza Strip has been described as a “human rights crisis, a human-made humanitarian disaster”1 and a “war on woman.”2 Since October 7th there has been mass scale forced displacement of over a million Palestinians from Northern Gaza to Southern Governorates. The subsequent impacts of this, compounded with pre-existing gender inequalities and multidimensional vulnerabilities, have disproportionately impacted women and girls, as well as other vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities, children, pregnant and lactating women, elderly populations, those living with chronic and mental health conditions.
Aim and methodology: The aim of this RGA was to hear from women and men currently in Rafah, with a focus on those providing essential services to communities and Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in the Governorate. The aim was to better understand the experiences of women, men, girls and boys at this moment, and to identify how CARE and the local and international humanitarian community, including U.N. Agencies, can best respond - understanding the formidable challenges and barriers to do so.
This RGA was conducted at a time where the population of Rafah were subject to continued and threatened bombardment from land, air and sea. As such it was intentionally designed to be light and small scale in terms of primary data collection; which took place between 7th April to 17th April 2024, and is complemented by secondary data review and analysis.
This RGA is being published in the days surrounding further escalation of violence in Rafah. The Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt is blocked 6 and an evacuation order has been issued in the Eastern parts of Rafah; the designated “safe zone” in the Gaza strip. This reinforces the voices of the men and women who told us, with no uncertainty, that nowhere in Gaza is safe.
Key findings related to each area of inquiry and recommendations are summarised below, with more details to be found in the main report.
Key findings:
1. Shifting Gender Roles: Continuous displacement has led to some traditional gender roles adapting and expanding, as well as others being reinforced. Increased and unrealistic pressure has been placed on women to meet the needs and demands of dependents in a highly stressful environment, which has led to an increase in verbal and physical violence against women.
2. Coping Mechanisms: On the verge of starvation, nearly the entire population in Rafah has reported extreme and harmful coping strategies including but not limited to bartering with other essential items, begging, gathering wild foods, scavenging under rubble or in trash or seeking food outside their shelter.8 Reports indicate some women are fasting for several days in a row,9 and boys and girls are forced to work on the street selling or begging. Female heads of household, older women and women with disabilities face security and protection obstacles seeking access to food distributions.10
3. Sustaining through Community Networks of Solidarity: Community solidarity has emerged as a lifeline for survival, such as women supporting children’s education and men distributing food parcels or organising activities for children. Religion and prayer have played a key role in the coping strategies of men, women and children. For youth, social media (when accessible) played a role to maintain connections, articulate fears and share experiences with others. For children, where possible, play and educational outlets within shelters provide a brief respite from the reality of airstrikes.
4. Maternal & Reproductive Health: With an overwhelmed and overstretched health system, people with disabilities, chronic conditions and trauma are left without the most basic care. With estimates of 155,000 women in Gaza pregnant or lactating, and 5,500 expected to deliver in the next month,11 the lack of adequate maternal, sexual and reproductive health services leave mothers, newborns and their children exposed to severe and life-threatening health risks. If women survive pregnancy and childbirth, postpartum recovery, including ability to breastfeed, also present severe challenges.12
5. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services (MHPSS): Of extreme concern is the severe emotional, physical and psychological distress among the displaced population, especially among children and youth. As caregivers do their best to survive and manage their own mental health, the impact on children and youth is extensive and holds intergenerational impacts.
6. Education: With formal education effectively stopped since October 7th, children have lost out on a whole academic year of education. While there were reports of some initiatives such as ‘informal learning circles’ and remote learning, these are not easily accessible. Parents, caregivers and children are focused on daily survival; there is the increasing need for adolescents and young girls to support with chores or be confined to their tents due to safety issues; and, particularly for boys, the need to help earn money or seek supplies for the family. Read More...

IPC & Rapid Gender Analysis Pilot – Somalia: Gender, Food Insecurity & Drought

Acute food insecurity (AFI) in Somalia has deepened amidst a prolonged humanitarian crisis that is further amplified by the climate crisis, conflict, disease outbreaks, and the ripple effect of government instability. The interconnection between gender equality and food security on the local, national, and global level is well established; wider gaps in gender inequality in the public and private sphere heighten the likelihood of food insecurity within a country.1 Yet most global data sets on food insecurity are not disaggregated by sex. Primarily, gender-disaggregated approaches have been applied most consistently regarding indicators related to women’s reproductive role – such as anemia in women of childbearing age – and overlook key questions around women’s access to resources, safety,mobility,andparticipation. Thesespheresbroadenthelensofdatatoprovideamoreholistic understanding of the experience of food insecurity, and most importantly, can inform strategic responses that target the needs of the most vulnerable. Thus, this objective Rapid Gender Analysis (RGA) is to strengthen and operationalize mixed methodologies that integrate gender analysis into global food security measurement systems, such as the Integrated Food Security and Nutrition Phase Classification (IPC), to account for the differential vulnerabilities of men and women and provide concrete and actionable recommendations that inform both the process of data collection and the implementation of more effective humanitarian programming. This study was conducted from February 25 to March 11, 2023 and focused on four districts in Somalia, each situated within two distinct pastoralist Livelihood Zones.

The Integrated Food Security and Nutrition Phase Classification (IPC) serves as a pivotal analytical instrument, guiding decision-makers in understanding the magnitude and extent of both acute and chronic food insecurity as well as acute malnutrition.2 This assessment, which aligns with international standards, demonstrates a shortfall in the absence of consistently incorporating gender- disaggregated data and analysis, an aspect that is crucial for fostering a more inclusive approach to addressing food and nutrition insecurities globally. The IPC analytical approach comprises of data from governments, UN agencies, NGOs, and other stakeholders that have applied the most rigorous and technical methodologies aligned with the IPC Technical Manual 3.1.3 Recognizing the profound impact of gender dynamics on the escalating global acute food and nutrition crises, CARE implemented an adapted strategy that combined both quantitative and qualitative instruments and disaggregated by sex as well as individual and household level data. This pilot study engaged 1,708 respondents, encompassing both women and men, and incorporated quantitative surveys and qualitative data gathering techniques such as key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and individual stories. This synergistic fusion of methods illuminated the complex and diverse experiences of men and women, as well as the underlying themes associated with acute food insecurity in the specified two Livelihood Zones (LZs) and the subsequent four districts. The quantitative component incorporated IPC-approved indicators such as the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), the Household Hunger Scale (HHS), and the reduced Coping Strategies Index (rCSI), complemented by the WFP's adapted Gender Equality for Food Security (GE4FS) questions. Meanwhile, the qualitative analysis primarily utilized CARE's proven Rapid Gender Analysis (RGA) toolkit. Triangulation across quantitative and qualitative data sources underscores the importance of mixed method approaches and enables a more comprehensive understanding of the impacts of the prolonged drought on men and women and the development of more targeted programming that meets the needs of the most vulnerable crisis-affected populations.

Gender inequalities are both a cause of and the result of the differentiated experiences of acute food insecurity. Gender norms and dynamics impact men and women’s social, economic, and political participation, as well as their access to resources and services. When shocks hit, they can both reinforce and exacerbate existing barriers and discriminatory practices and/or create new opportunities and pathways for resilience, adaptation, and recovery. This report notes multiple shifts in gender dynamics that have occurred since the start of the drought that have shaped the capacity of men and women to participate in the drought response and recovery.

Structural inequalities in Somalia are based on the patriarchal clan-based system that is the foundation of social systems. Numerous indicators demonstrate how - from an early age - women are socially positioned to face risks and barriers that significantly reduced their agency in accessing opportunities, participating in household and community decision making and improving living conditions. Simultaneously, men’s roles towards their family defined by customary law and clan systems has been challenged due to the loss of livelihoods that has created increased vulnerability in accessing food and asserting their traditional roles.

The study explores nuanced gender disparities in acute food insecurity experiences within these LZs, highlighting the vulnerabilities exacerbated by the recent drought. The following highlight key findings:

• Gender Disparities in Acute Food Insecurity: There were distinct gender-based discrepancies, particularly in the Hawd LZ. In this LZ, the data indicated that men are facing a higher degree of acute food insecurity compared to women; the majority of women are grappling with conditions corresponding to IPC phase 3 (Crisis) or worse, whereas men are predominantly experiencing hardships consistent with indicative IPC phase 4 (Emergency). Conversely, in the Addun , both groups are contending with similar levels of acute food insecurity, at indicative IPC phase 4 (Emergency).
• Gender Analysis and Cultural Factors: Remarkably, the gender disparity observed in Hawd contradicts the traditional, cultural, and social norms that are prevalent in Somalia, which typically favor men. Thus, gender analysis of qualitative and secondary data provides critical nuance, with qualitative interviews indicating that men and women both generally perceive women as more vulnerable to acute food insecurity. Likewise, interviewees surfaced trends and cultural factors that may have influenced how men and women experienced or perceived acute food insecurity, such as customary eating habits, khat consumption, and humanitarian assistance. Further study is warranted to determine to what extent these factors are shaping IPC analysis in Somalia writ large.
• Severe Acute Food Insecurity: The findings from the study confirm a dire scenario, where over 70% of the population in the surveyed LZs are facing IPC phase 3+ (Crisis) or worse conditions, as confirmed by FIES, HHS, and rCSI outcome indicators. Disturbingly, there are households and individuals within these LZs confronting even more dire acute food insecurity circumstances consistent with IPC phase 5 (Catastrophe) levels.
• Collapse of Livelihoods Impacts Gender Roles: Drought conditions and the associated collapse of core livelihood pathways due to the loss of livestock has severely impacted traditional roles. The near total collapse of pastoralist livelihoods associated with the drought has threatened men’s traditional role of “provider” and has led some men to report strong feelings of mental health distress. Women have increasingly expanded outside of their traditional roles in the home to seek income opportunities, however, disparities remain that continue to limit their decision-making power at the household and community levels.
• Health Access: Respondents frequently drew connections between the food insecurity and malnutrition situation in their area to the lack of access to basic and life-saving health services. Health services, particularly for pregnant women, were noted by many to be dire, as was the need for better access to clean water to mitigate risks of increased diseases from contaminated sources.
• Protection: Increased tensions within the household due to growing limitations around access to resources heightens risks for gender-based violence within the household, especially as the scope of women’s roles expand around income generation and increased access to humanitarian aid. Culturally accepted practices around early and forced child marriage, as a coping method, also creates added stressors for women and families. Read More...

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