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16 Days of Activism: UNHCR renews commitment to help forcibly displaced women

News Stories, 25 November 2010

UNHCR staff gather in the atrium of the headquarters building to spell out "No" at the start of the 16 Days of Activism.

GENEVA, November 25 (UNHCR) – UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres on Thursday pledged a renewed commitment to address the continuing problems faced by refugee women and girls around the world.

"Clearly, many challenges remain," Guterres said in a special message to staff to mark the start of the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, an international campaign originating from the first Women's Global Leadership Institute in 1991.

This year's theme is "Structures of Violence: Defining the Intersections of Militarism and Violence Against Women." Noting this, the High Commissioner said militarism frequently aggravates and perpetuates violence, promoting a culture of fear and division that allows violence and aggression to flourish.

"The impact is disproportionately on women and girls, in particular through their subjection to rape as a weapon of war and other forms of SGBV [sexual and gender-based violence]," he said.

Guterres also recalled in his message that UNHCR had spoken 10 years ago with more than 500 refugee women about their protection situation. As a result of this dialogue, UNHCR made its "Five Commitments to Refugee Women:" individual registration and documentation; integrated strategies to combat SGBV; provision of sufficient and adequate sanitary materials; equal representation in refugee committees; and equal participation in the management of food and non-food items.

"Have we lived up to these commitments?," he asked, adding: "By and large, yes, we have. Individual registration and documentation for women refugees has increased. So too has women's participation in refugee committees and in the management of food and non-food items. Access to sanitary materials has improved. And almost all offices have established standard operating procedures for detecting and responding to SGBV, though the prevalence of SGBV remains elevated."

The High Commissioner noted that as part of UNHCR's renewed commitment to address the problems facing women, and in the context of the agency 60th anniversary activities, UNHCR recently launched a series of regional dialogues focusing on, but not limited to, women and girls. The first of these took place last week in New Delhi.

Guterres said that UNHCR offices around the world will mark the 16 Days of Activism with a wide range of events and activities to demonstrate their commitment to the elimination of sexual and gender-based violence. "We will also participate in the UN Secretary-General's 'Say NO – UNiTE to End Violence against Women' campaign."

In Geneva, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection Erika Feller gave a special address to UNHCR staff, many of whom wore white ribbons to signify their pledge never to commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women. Feller noted that in eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo a staggering 12,000 women – many of them forcibly displaced – had been raped so far this year.

Also falling within the 16 days are International Women Human Rights Defenders Day (November 29), World AIDS Day (December 1), International Disability Day (December 3) and International Human Rights Day (December 10).

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Sexual and Gender-based Violence against Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons - Guidelines for Prevention and Response

Guidelines offering practical advice on how to design strategies and carry out activities aimed at preventing and responding to sexual and gender-based violence.

Gender Discrimination in Nationality Laws

Guidelines for Gender-based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Settings

Published by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), September 2005

Gender

How UNHCR Helps Women

By ensuring participation in decision-making and strengthening their self-reliance.

UNHCR's Dialogues with Refugee Women

Progress report on implementation of recommendations.

Women

Women and girls can be especially vulnerable to abuse in mass displacement situations.

The Dialogues book (Survivors, Protectors, Providers: Refugee Women Speak Out)

Refworld special feature on Gender Equality and Women

Handbooks

Women in Exile

In any displaced population, approximately 50 percent of the uprooted people are women and girls. Stripped of the protection of their homes, their government and sometimes their family structure, females are particularly vulnerable. They face the rigours of long journeys into exile, official harassment or indifference and frequent sexual abuse, even after reaching an apparent place of safety. Women must cope with these threats while being nurse, teacher, breadwinner and physical protector of their families. In the last few years, UNHCR has developed a series of special programmes to ensure women have equal access to protection, basic goods and services as they attempt to rebuild their lives.

On International Women's Day UNHCR highlights, through images from around the world, the difficulties faced by displaced women, along with their strength and resilience.

Women in Exile

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Women and girls make up about 50 percent of the world's refugee population, and they are clearly the most vulnerable. At the same time, it is the women who carry out the crucial tasks in refugee camps – caring for their children, participating in self-development projects, and keeping their uprooted families together.

To honour them and to draw attention to their plight, the High Commissioner for Refugees decided to dedicate World Refugee Day on June 20, 2002, to women refugees.

The photographs in this gallery show some of the many roles uprooted women play around the world. They vividly portray a wide range of emotions, from the determination of Macedonian mothers taking their children home from Kosovo and the hope of Sierra Leonean girls in a Guinean camp, to the tears of joy from two reunited sisters. Most importantly, they bring to life the tremendous human dignity and courage of women refugees even in the most difficult of circumstances.

Refugee Women

International Women's Day 2013

Gender equality remains a distant goal for many women and girls around the world, particularly those who are forcibly displaced or stateless. Multiple forms of discrimination hamper their enjoyment of basic rights: sexual and gender-based violence persists in brutal forms, girls and women struggle to access education and livelihoods opportunities, and women's voices are often powerless to influence decisions that affect their lives. Displaced women often end up alone, or as single parents, battling to make ends meet. Girls who become separated or lose their families during conflict are especially vulnerable to abuse.

On International Women's Day, UNHCR reaffirms its commitment to fight for women's empowerment and gender equality. In all regions of the world we are working to support refugee women's participation and leadership in camp committees and community structures, so they can assume greater control over their lives. We have also intensified our efforts to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence, with a focus on emergencies, including by improving access to justice for survivors. Significantly, we are increasingly working with men and boys, in addition to women and girls, to bring an end to dangerous cycles of violence and promote gender equality.

These photographs pay tribute to forcibly displaced women and girls around the world. They include images of women and girls from some of today's major displacement crises, including Syria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali and Sudan.