Emergency|Humanitarian Aid
Sacrificing the Future to Survive the Present: North East Syria RGA
Amid a tense and fragile security situation, both male and female participants in this rapid gender analysis (RGA) identified their main concerns as their loss of income and livelihoods and the increased cost of food. The intensifying food crisis is further aggravated by disruptions to wheat production, climate change, continued insecurity and the war in Ukraine, which has significantly reduced Syria’s grain imports.
The fragility of the food system, combined with the water crisis and the near collapse of the labor market, has aggravated chronic food insecurity and malnutrition in the region, leading to profound short and long-term impacts on health and resilience. One in three children face malnutrition, and those under five need nutritional interventions, as do pregnant and lactating women.
Most households that took part in this RGA said their food needs were not being met despite aid distributions. Female-headed households, widows and people with disabilities are particularly vulnerable. About 38% of households living in camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) are female-headed.
The number of female heads of household and other women in the labor market has increased, but limitations on women’s mobility, economic participation and decision making persist, as do social and cultural expectations about the role of men as main decision makers and community leaders.
All respondents said the conflict was increasingly restricting their freedom of movement. Women’s main fears in terms of their mobility related to harassment and exploitation, and men’s to kidnap or recruitment by armed actors. All respondents identified lack of transportation, high costs and insecurity as the main obstacles to accessing health services. Read More...
The fragility of the food system, combined with the water crisis and the near collapse of the labor market, has aggravated chronic food insecurity and malnutrition in the region, leading to profound short and long-term impacts on health and resilience. One in three children face malnutrition, and those under five need nutritional interventions, as do pregnant and lactating women.
Most households that took part in this RGA said their food needs were not being met despite aid distributions. Female-headed households, widows and people with disabilities are particularly vulnerable. About 38% of households living in camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) are female-headed.
The number of female heads of household and other women in the labor market has increased, but limitations on women’s mobility, economic participation and decision making persist, as do social and cultural expectations about the role of men as main decision makers and community leaders.
All respondents said the conflict was increasingly restricting their freedom of movement. Women’s main fears in terms of their mobility related to harassment and exploitation, and men’s to kidnap or recruitment by armed actors. All respondents identified lack of transportation, high costs and insecurity as the main obstacles to accessing health services. Read More...
CARE Rapid Gender Analysis on Power and Participation (RGA-P) Kassala Sudan
This Rapid Gender Analysis on Power and Participation (RGA-P) was carried out to understand women’s participation in both formal and informal structures, and the barriers to and opportunities for supporting women’s meaningful participation and leadership during the health and WASH protracted crisis in Kassala State. This RGA P was conducted in Kassala, a state in East Sudan, which borders Ethiopia and Eritrea and has a population of 2,8 million with a population of 1,271,780 below the age of 18. Annually, Kassala state is affected by natural crisis, floods, droughts and subsequent desertification, as well as man-made crisis. Refugees from Tigray and Eritrea settled in Kassala, making the state susceptible to higher rates of trafficking, smuggling and violence. Kassala state is one of the states with the country’s worst social indicators on malnutrition. Women and adolescent girls are exposed to high rates of female genital mutilation (FGM), high risk of kidnapping and high rates of child early marriage; with FGM and gender based violence (including FGM and early child marriange) all normalized within society. The prevalence of FGM in Kassala is at 40 % and children as young as six years are being engaged to be married.
As part of the RGAP, a training was conducted with staff and partner staff on Women Lead in Emergencies (WLiE). The training helped staff to appreciate the approach as well as the methodology. Following the training, a team of sixteen staff members (15 female and 1 male) participated in the primary data collection in three villages. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with groups of women and men. Key informant interviews (KIIs) were held with women leaders, community leaders, government officials as well as one of the agencies that has been implementing in the area. Secondary data collection was also done to triangulate and validate findings.
Women in the three villages visited have limited decision making power and voice, both within the home and in public spaces. Some of the barriers to participation cited by women included lack of education, harmful social norms and practices that limit women and girls’ mobility and participation in public, and limited access and control over resources.
In the three villages where this RGA P focused, Wad Eissa, Shalataib, and Wad Bau villages, findings indicated there are no women participating in the key local level governance structure, referred to as the Popular Committee. Men occupy all the leadership positions and where women’s names were included in the membership list, it was often tokenistic without the women’s own awareness of their role. Apart from the popular committee, there is a community level “father’s group” that supports education in Wad Bau, there were no other visible formal or informal decision-making structures.
Only one active women’s group was identified in Wad Elisa, but no other women’s groups or associations were identified in the rest of the three villages. The group in Wad Eisa had been formed as a result of interventions lead by a German NGO, Welthungerhilfe (WHH), in the area. The other villages had had limited interactions with outside organizations both national, international and even the government.
The entry points to enhancing women’s participation and leadership during the health and WASH protracted crisis in Kassala State can be through the engagement of the traditional and trained midwives, the female teachers, and the mothers’ groups. CARE under the health and nutrition project are looking to form mothers and fathers’ group. This will help bring women together and create safe spaces for women to work together. In the three villages, there are trained midwives, and in Wad Bau there are three female teachers. These women already have the respect and support of the women, and these women can conduct awareness sessions and facilitate discussions with groups of women, regarding their concerns and how they can come together and take the lead in addressing issues that affect them. As teachers are often from outside the village and stay only for a few months at a time, this can be an effective starting point for engaging women but a more sustainable approach will need to be considered as well. Through the father’s groups, men and boys can be engaged, to mitigate GBV risks, that could emerge, due to women’s participation in decision making regarding different community issues. According to one of the male leaders, men have been resistant of women participating in decision making platforms, and social norms are not open to women speaking in front of men.
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As part of the RGAP, a training was conducted with staff and partner staff on Women Lead in Emergencies (WLiE). The training helped staff to appreciate the approach as well as the methodology. Following the training, a team of sixteen staff members (15 female and 1 male) participated in the primary data collection in three villages. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with groups of women and men. Key informant interviews (KIIs) were held with women leaders, community leaders, government officials as well as one of the agencies that has been implementing in the area. Secondary data collection was also done to triangulate and validate findings.
Women in the three villages visited have limited decision making power and voice, both within the home and in public spaces. Some of the barriers to participation cited by women included lack of education, harmful social norms and practices that limit women and girls’ mobility and participation in public, and limited access and control over resources.
In the three villages where this RGA P focused, Wad Eissa, Shalataib, and Wad Bau villages, findings indicated there are no women participating in the key local level governance structure, referred to as the Popular Committee. Men occupy all the leadership positions and where women’s names were included in the membership list, it was often tokenistic without the women’s own awareness of their role. Apart from the popular committee, there is a community level “father’s group” that supports education in Wad Bau, there were no other visible formal or informal decision-making structures.
Only one active women’s group was identified in Wad Elisa, but no other women’s groups or associations were identified in the rest of the three villages. The group in Wad Eisa had been formed as a result of interventions lead by a German NGO, Welthungerhilfe (WHH), in the area. The other villages had had limited interactions with outside organizations both national, international and even the government.
The entry points to enhancing women’s participation and leadership during the health and WASH protracted crisis in Kassala State can be through the engagement of the traditional and trained midwives, the female teachers, and the mothers’ groups. CARE under the health and nutrition project are looking to form mothers and fathers’ group. This will help bring women together and create safe spaces for women to work together. In the three villages, there are trained midwives, and in Wad Bau there are three female teachers. These women already have the respect and support of the women, and these women can conduct awareness sessions and facilitate discussions with groups of women, regarding their concerns and how they can come together and take the lead in addressing issues that affect them. As teachers are often from outside the village and stay only for a few months at a time, this can be an effective starting point for engaging women but a more sustainable approach will need to be considered as well. Through the father’s groups, men and boys can be engaged, to mitigate GBV risks, that could emerge, due to women’s participation in decision making regarding different community issues. According to one of the male leaders, men have been resistant of women participating in decision making platforms, and social norms are not open to women speaking in front of men.
Read More...
Rapid Gender Analysis Sinjar District, Ninewa Governorate, Iraq
CARE International in Iraq (CARE Iraq) with the support of the Crisis Centre of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (CDCS), is providing Livelihood and Protection services in Sinjar District in Ninewa governorate. CARE Iraq is implementing the services through its local partner Dak Organization for Ezidi Women Development (Dak). CARE Iraq undertook a Rapid Gender Analysis (RGA) to understand different gender norms, roles, and power dynamics, in addition to the specific needs of women, girls and vulnerable people in the project locations to ensure safe, equitable and dignified access to the services.
The conflict in Iraq and the protracted humanitarian crisis have had a severe impact on infrastructure and service delivery in general, which, together with the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of the unemployment rate, has led to an increase in existing Gender Based Violence (GBV) and protection risks. The continuance of political and economic instabilities is having a huge effect on the population as a whole; however, conflicts and emergencies impact women and girls differently, and understanding different roles, dynamics and needs will help improve the quality of and access to those services. Sinjar District is the most affected area by the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL); it has suffered a tragic human loss in addition to the loss of infrastructure, livelihoods, and homes. Following the liberation in 2017, IDPs started to move back to Sinjar; however, until this date, the provision and availability of basic services like health, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), and livelihoods, as well as reconstruction of housing and infrastructure, is relatively low. The current situation has a negative impact on the community in terms of safety and security, which is clearly reflected in the lowest IDP return rates (35%) compared to other districts in Iraq in 20211.
There are several concerns around livelihoods and the lack of adequate protection services for the targeted community that need to be addressed to ensure safe and equitable access to all members of the community. Read More...
The conflict in Iraq and the protracted humanitarian crisis have had a severe impact on infrastructure and service delivery in general, which, together with the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of the unemployment rate, has led to an increase in existing Gender Based Violence (GBV) and protection risks. The continuance of political and economic instabilities is having a huge effect on the population as a whole; however, conflicts and emergencies impact women and girls differently, and understanding different roles, dynamics and needs will help improve the quality of and access to those services. Sinjar District is the most affected area by the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL); it has suffered a tragic human loss in addition to the loss of infrastructure, livelihoods, and homes. Following the liberation in 2017, IDPs started to move back to Sinjar; however, until this date, the provision and availability of basic services like health, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), and livelihoods, as well as reconstruction of housing and infrastructure, is relatively low. The current situation has a negative impact on the community in terms of safety and security, which is clearly reflected in the lowest IDP return rates (35%) compared to other districts in Iraq in 20211.
There are several concerns around livelihoods and the lack of adequate protection services for the targeted community that need to be addressed to ensure safe and equitable access to all members of the community. Read More...
Improving lives of Rohingya refugees and host community members in Bangladesh through sexual and reproductive healthcare integrated with gender-based violence prevention, response violence prevention and response
The intended impact of the project is improved living conditions for women and girls in Rohingya refugee camps and host communities in Cox’s Bazar.
Outcome Statement: Improved sexual and reproductive health, GBV survivor support and protection from GBV of Rohingya refugees and host community members in Cox´s Bazar Bangladesh.
Purpose of the Study: This endline study has established endline values for the following project outcome indicators. This assessment has provided a comparison of baseline value and endline value of the indicators. A set of recommendations has been provided through the assessment report on project interventions. Read More...
Outcome Statement: Improved sexual and reproductive health, GBV survivor support and protection from GBV of Rohingya refugees and host community members in Cox´s Bazar Bangladesh.
Purpose of the Study: This endline study has established endline values for the following project outcome indicators. This assessment has provided a comparison of baseline value and endline value of the indicators. A set of recommendations has been provided through the assessment report on project interventions. Read More...
Línea de base del programa de intervención en movilidad humana del eje programático de gestión de riesgos y respuesta a emergencias
El Eje Programático de Gestión de Riesgos y Respuesta a Emergencias, está implementando, desde el 2018, proyectos orientados a la atención de las necesidades humanitarias de población refugiada y migrante, -especialmente venezolana- que está en territorio nacional, alineándose a una estrategia de implementación coordinada y articulada dentro de un Programa de intervención e implementación conjunta, dado que existen acciones complementarias y contribuyentes entre ellas. Por tal motivo, se ha determinado la realización de una línea de base que permita el abordaje integral y lectura del estado situacional de los indicadores al inicio de la intervención desde las diferentes aristas que los afectan. Read More...
ASISTENCIA TÉCNICA EN LA IDENTIFICACIÓN, DISEÑO E IMPLEMENTACIÓN DE INICIATIVAS COMUNITARIAS DE CONTENCIÓN, REACTIVACIÓN SOCIAL Y ECONÓMICA PROMOVIENDO COMUNIDADES SALUDABLES FRENTE A LA COVID-19 Y SISTEMATIZACIÓN DE LA EXPERIENCIA
El proyecto “Fortalecimiento de la Respuesta Sanitaria Local a través de la Movilización y Reactivación Social - FORS” y tiene como principal objetivo “Fortalecer las capacidades de respuesta organizada de los sistemas de salud locales y las comunidades/territorios del Área de Influencia Operativa de la Compañía Minera Antamina frente a la emergencia COVID-19, priorizando a la familia y ser humano en su protección, cuidado y capacidad de contagio. Además, acompañar el tránsito hacia una comunidad/territorio saludable que gestione un nuevo escenario post emergencia, protegiendo y promoviendo la salud de la población”. Read More...
Reducing Vulnerabilities for refugees and internally displaced persons in Afghanistan – CARE/ABADEI Baseline
Reducing vulnerabilities for returnees and IDPs in 4 provinces of Afghanistan is a Resilience Building Program in Afghanistan, which is implemented by CARE Afghanistan. This project, which is funded by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is targeting 312,800 vulnerable people (153,272 female & 159,528 male). This program is aimed at reducing vulnerabilities for returnees and IDPs through the provision of essential services to local communities and protecting them against natural disasters; source to support rural livelihoods through strengthened social cohesion.
Towards the end of 2021, CARE conducted a multi-sectoral need assessment, which confirmed the lack of access to health & food. The chronic conflict, lack of humanitarian assistance, poor outlook for the population and lack of available basic services, the assessment emphasized a strong need to meet the basic humanitarian needs for local people, IDPs and, returnees. In particular, health response, cash for work, food provision, and economic improvement / livelihoods initiatives were identified as priority assistance areas. Read More...
Towards the end of 2021, CARE conducted a multi-sectoral need assessment, which confirmed the lack of access to health & food. The chronic conflict, lack of humanitarian assistance, poor outlook for the population and lack of available basic services, the assessment emphasized a strong need to meet the basic humanitarian needs for local people, IDPs and, returnees. In particular, health response, cash for work, food provision, and economic improvement / livelihoods initiatives were identified as priority assistance areas. Read More...
The Impact of the Food Crisis on Women and Girls in Afghanistan
CARE conducted a study on how the food crisis in Afghanistan affects women and girls differently to better understand the gendered economic, cultural, and practical barriers to food security. This research highlights key findings on household food security, negative coping strategies women and families adopt, and shortcomings of humanitarian actors in gender-responsive aid delivery. The study is based on a comprehensive desk review of existing data since August 2021, a household survey comprising of 345 women respondents, completed in both urban and rural communities, a series of qualitative interviews with 18 women, 9 focus group discussions (FGDs) with men, and key informant interviews (KIIs) with food security specialists and humanitarian actors. The data was collected in urban and rural districts in 9 provinces in the north, west, south, and center of the country. Read More...
Drought Assessment Report – CARE Morocco
This report will study the overall situation in Morocco and the drought’s negative effects on agriculture, the economy, food security, etc., with gender lenses considering how different gender groups are affected differently on household and community levels. Additionally, the report will provide suggestions and information for the way forward at the local level and per gender group.
Key findings:
• Male community members in the rural areas who used to consider agriculture as their main income source decided to migrate to urban communities seeking temporary or permanent jobs.
• Women are the most affected during the drought season for several reasons:
▪ Women are primarily responsible for fetching water and with the drought, access to water is more challenging.
▪ When the male HHs members migrate to urban areas, female members step forward to take additional responsibilities on top of their existing daily tasks which put them in very overwhelming circumstances.
It is observed that over the past few years, farmers have progressively stopped using local seeds/seedlings/crops aiming for a higher yield using foreign inputs that showed low resilience to Moroccan climate and weather. Similarly, few profitable crops were cultivated in areas that suffer from water scarcity such as watermelon, avocado, and few other crops which led the government to intervene and restrict these crops in certain locations.
• It was reported that veterinary service expenses, which were already high, have increased even more due to inputs and fuel costs which pushed herders to reduce the frequency of veterinary
checks.
• Drought can have a significant impact on the macro economy, but through this study, it was confirmed that the most affected sector was the agricultural production and yields, and thus people’s livelihoods such as small farmers and rural workers with specific challenges women and girls were going through due to water and income shortage.
• water consumption was reduced despite the implications on the amount of yield they will harvest later but considering that irrigation expenses won’t be recovered by selling their crops later considering the high production cost and limited purchasing power. Read More...
Key findings:
• Male community members in the rural areas who used to consider agriculture as their main income source decided to migrate to urban communities seeking temporary or permanent jobs.
• Women are the most affected during the drought season for several reasons:
▪ Women are primarily responsible for fetching water and with the drought, access to water is more challenging.
▪ When the male HHs members migrate to urban areas, female members step forward to take additional responsibilities on top of their existing daily tasks which put them in very overwhelming circumstances.
It is observed that over the past few years, farmers have progressively stopped using local seeds/seedlings/crops aiming for a higher yield using foreign inputs that showed low resilience to Moroccan climate and weather. Similarly, few profitable crops were cultivated in areas that suffer from water scarcity such as watermelon, avocado, and few other crops which led the government to intervene and restrict these crops in certain locations.
• It was reported that veterinary service expenses, which were already high, have increased even more due to inputs and fuel costs which pushed herders to reduce the frequency of veterinary
checks.
• Drought can have a significant impact on the macro economy, but through this study, it was confirmed that the most affected sector was the agricultural production and yields, and thus people’s livelihoods such as small farmers and rural workers with specific challenges women and girls were going through due to water and income shortage.
• water consumption was reduced despite the implications on the amount of yield they will harvest later but considering that irrigation expenses won’t be recovered by selling their crops later considering the high production cost and limited purchasing power. Read More...
EVALUATION EXTERNE DE LA RIPOSTE COVID-19 MISE EN ŒUVRE PAR LE CONSORTIUM (ACF, ASOS, CARE ET MDM)
Financé par UE et AFD, d’un montant de 750 000 Euros, opérationnalisé par un consortium d’ONG à vocation humanitaire, le Projet « Riposte à la crise sanitaire COVID-19 à Madagascar », intégra la Stratégie de riposte nationale, en réponse à la découverte des trois premiers cas importés malagasy le 20 mars 2020, suivie de l’annonce de l’instauration de l’état d’urgence sanitaire dans tout le pays par le Président de la République de Madagascar. Ce consortium est formé de trois ONG internationales et d’une ONG nationale, notamment ACF-CARE-MDM et ASOS. Ce projet ambitionnait de contribuer à la réduction de la morbi-mortalité due à l’épidémie de coronavirus, ainsi que des impacts sociaux des mesures prises pour éviter sa propagation à Madagascar.
La présente évaluation a pour objectifs de mesurer l’impact de cette riposte sur une crise inédite à travers la recherche de réponses aux questions d’évaluation liées à des critères d’évaluation ci-après : (i) impacts ou effets larges du projet au niveau individuel, communautaire , et institutionnel ; (ii) son adéquation aux besoins des bénéficiaires, à la stratégie nationale, (iii) sa gouvernance, pointant la qualité des structures et mécanismes de coordination intra-consortium, et envers les autres intervenants et cibles bénéficiaires ; l’optimisation des ressources à travers des réponses à des questions d’économie, d’efficience, d’efficacité, d’équité ; (v) l’analyse de sa durabilité à travers quelques domaines clés : renforcement des capacités (formations, dotations, infrastructures) et l'approche au niveau communautaire, etc. Read More...
La présente évaluation a pour objectifs de mesurer l’impact de cette riposte sur une crise inédite à travers la recherche de réponses aux questions d’évaluation liées à des critères d’évaluation ci-après : (i) impacts ou effets larges du projet au niveau individuel, communautaire , et institutionnel ; (ii) son adéquation aux besoins des bénéficiaires, à la stratégie nationale, (iii) sa gouvernance, pointant la qualité des structures et mécanismes de coordination intra-consortium, et envers les autres intervenants et cibles bénéficiaires ; l’optimisation des ressources à travers des réponses à des questions d’économie, d’efficience, d’efficacité, d’équité ; (v) l’analyse de sa durabilité à travers quelques domaines clés : renforcement des capacités (formations, dotations, infrastructures) et l'approche au niveau communautaire, etc. Read More...