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	10 things you should know about women & the world’s humanitarian crises by UN Population Fund (UNFPA)   The world is currently facing its worst refugee crisis since the Second World War, due to conflicts, persecutions and natural disasters intensified by climate change. And tens of millions still living in their homes or displaced within their own countries are also in critical need of humanitarian services.   Here are 10 things you should know about women and girls in crises:   1. Of the more than 125 million people in need of humanitarian assistance worldwide, over 75 per cent are women and children.   Women often stay behind during conflict and natural disasters to take care of children and family members, while men may leave for the frontlines or to find jobs elsewhere. As they try to get by with little support in chaotic and dangerous situations, women and girls are exposed to death and disability, hunger, exploitation and gender-based violence. In conflict settings, just travelling to the local market can put their lives at risk.   Women and girls best understand these daily needs and risks, and must be a part of designing the humanitarian responses intended to prevent them.   2. In 2015, 61 per cent of maternal deaths occurred in 35 countries experiencing emergency situations. Their average maternal mortality ratio was on par with England’s between 1800 and 1850.   Due to insecurity, lawlessness and destruction of health facilities and other infrastructure, women are often prevented from accessing life-saving health services in emergency situations. In many cases, reaching the nearest maternal clinic or hospital can prove life threatening.   Providing quality, acessible sexual and reproductive health services saves lives. Successfully doing so in fragile settings requires working with local communities, health providers and civil society to identify local risks – and solutions.   3. Approximately four times as many women as men died in the 2004 tsunami in Aceh, Indonesia.   During natural disasters and their aftermath, women are, on average, more likely to die than men. In the 2004 tsunami, many women died because they stayed in their communities to look for their children and relatives, instead of fleeing from the danger. In addition, more men than women could successfully swim and climb trees to safety.   These disparities must be addressed in the immediate aftermath of emergencies.   4. Of the 10 countries with the highest rate of child marriage, 9 are fragile states.   In crises settings, parents often perceive early marriage as a way to protect girls from violence and shield the family from further economic stress. As a result, rates of child marriage often increase substantially.   Raising awareness of girls’ rights and intrinsic value and ensuring that families have access to basic services and income from the very onset of an emergency are vital to curbing child marriage.   5. Ninety per cent of early first births occur among child brides – and complications during childbirth is the second-leading cause of death among adolescent girls worldwide. This risk is compounded in crisis settings.   From child marriage and adolescent pregnancy to rape and trafficking, being young and female is one of the most dangerous risk factors in emergency settings. And these risks increase even more when girls are separated from their parents and families.   It is critical that adolescent girls have access to health and counselling services specifically designed to support and protect them.   6. Globally, at least 35 per cent of women have suffered from gender-based violence. While data is limited, anecdotal reports from around the world – from Ecuador to Yemen – show that its prevalence sharply increases during emergencies.   During crises, loss of support networks and property, limited access to jobs and weak rule of law increase women''s and girls vulnerability to gender-based violence.   Even though this violence is generally under-reported, all humanitarian personnel should assume it is occurring, treat it as a serious and life-threatening problem and take actions to prevent it and provide comprehensive services to survivors.   7. Sexual violence against women is often deployed as a systematic tool of war. To date, at least 200,000 women have been sexually assaulted during the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.   Because rape is often viewed as an attack on a woman or girl’s family and culture, many armed groups systematically employ it to erode the fabric of communities. This systematic sexual violence – whether perpetrated by state actors, armed forces associated with the state, or non-state armed groups – remains a grave concern in the Sudan (Darfur), South Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Nigeria, Mali, Libya and Yemen.   Conflict-related sexual violence generally takes place against a backdrop of structural gender-based discrimination. Implementing policies to empower women and girls and end impunity for perpetrators are essential steps to ridding countries and societies of the scourge of rape as a tool of war.   8. In disasters and humanitarian emergencies, women are more likely than men to suffer from food insecurity. Even though women produce more than half of the world’s food, they comprise 70 per cent of the world’s hungry.   In many societies where females are considered to be lower status than men, women and girls receive less food than their male counterparts. In crises, food is often limited, and this discrepancy is exacerbated, especially if only male heads of households are registered in refugee or displaced persons camps.   Women should always be consulted about their needs and priorities to ensure that food distribution in humanitarian settings is equitable.   9. Today, more than half of refugee women and girls live in cities, not in refugee camps.   In contrast to a refugee camp, cities can present opportunities to remain anonymous, earn money and build a better future. But instead, many refugees find themselves isolated, impoverished and discriminated against – without access health and support services.   Women and girl refugees in cities require information and health services, opportunities to earn an income and safe spaces to socialize with peers, learn new skills and make connections to the wider community.   10. The average time of displacement among the world’s 60 million refugees, half of whom are women and girls, has now reached 20 years.   Extended displacement and surviving experiences of brutal violence can negatively impact the mental health of refugees, leaving them with feelings of hopelessness and fear regarding their futures.   Parents worry about the impact on their children, who are often growing up with little or no memory of their home or of stability – and with limited access to education.   Investing in the education, long-term wellbeing and empowerment of children and adolescents can give refugees hope, a sense of purpose and a path to the stability needed to build a brighter future.   http://www.unfpa.org/gender-equality http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/humanitarian-action Visit the related web page
	How can the world improve the lives of women and girls by 2030? by Women Deliver, agencies   May 2016   With women and girls facing discrimination and violence in every part of the world, the United Nations last year committed to work towards gender equality in the next 15 years as part of a new set of global goals.   Participants attending the fourth global Women Deliver conference in Copenhagen were asked what they thought were the most important actions needed to improve the lives of women and girls by 2030.   As the Women Deliver conference begins in Copenhagen, here are some numbers on women''s health, by Emma Batha.   Maternal mortality: Every two minutes a woman dies from pregnancy related complications - a leading cause of death for teenage girls in developing countries. Ninety nine percent of maternal deaths occur in developing countries.   Newborn mortality: Nearly 3 million newborns die every year. Motherless children are up to 10 times more likely to die within two years of their mother''s death. When women space their births by at least three years, newborns are twice as likely to survive their first year.   Child marriage: Every year 15 million girls marry before the age of 18 - one girl every two seconds. More than a third of the 700 million women worldwide who were married as children were wed before 15. Girls who give birth when they are under 15 are five times more likely to die in childbirth than young women in their 20s.   Family planning: 225 million women in developing countries have an unmet need for family planning. This leads to 74 million unplanned pregnancies, 28 million unplanned births and 26 million abortions every year.   HIV/AIDS: Young women make up more than 60 percent of all young people living with HIV, or 72 percent in sub-Saharan Africa.   Female genital mutilation: At least 200 million girls and women have undergone FGM in 30 countries across three continents. FGM causes a host of health problems including potentially fatal childbirth complications later in life.   Fistula: More than 2 million women are estimated to be living with fistula, one of the most serious childbirth injuries, and some 50,000 to 100,000 new cases develop annually. Obstetric fistula is a hole between the birth canal and bladder or rectum caused by prolonged, obstructed labour without treatment.   Violence: One in four women is physically abused during pregnancy. In some countries, nearly half of girls report their first sexual encounter was coerced.   * Sources: UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO, Girls Not Brides, Women Deliver   Head of UN Women says irking opponents comes with the battle for equality, by Belinda Goldsmith.   As the head of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka is used to people rolling their eyes when she starts to talk about women''s empowerment and the need for equality for girls globally.   But Mlambo-Ngcuka, a South African, holds no fear about irritating people in her mission to stop violence against women, secure education for all girls worldwide, and address the gender pay gap in all nations.   Men, young people, religious leaders and the media are all targets for Mlambo-Ngcuka who says it is essential to get support to address and end prejudices against women in order to achieve the U.N.''s goal of achieving gender equality by 2030.   "You can''t win a struggle without irritating those who you are trying to convert," Mlambo-Ngcuka, the executive director of UN Women, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.   "We need to get across the message that feminism is not about hating men, hating those who don''t buy into our agenda, but it is about extending and advancing women''s rights and ending the deep prejudices against women that still exist."   She said it was important to get men on board - a key factor in UN Women''s launch of the #HeForShe campaign in 2014 - as gender equality affects all people socially, economically and politically and is not just a struggle for women by women.   Religious leaders were also key to change, she said, citing the example of needing clerics from all religions to be part of any campaign to end violence against women in Pakistan.   But Mlambo-Ngcuka also acknowledged the need to involve the next generation, aware many younger women were rejecting the traditional women''s movement, seeing it as having succeeded.   She said the facts proved the fight was not over and the U.N.''s Sustainable Development Goals, were an opportunity for both rich and poor countries to invest in women.   For although women and girls make up more than half the world''s population, data shows they are often more deeply impacted than men and boys by poverty, climate change, food insecurity, lack of healthcare, and economic crises. And this inequality is not only a developing world issue.   In the United States studies show that women earn on average 79 cents for every dollar earned by men and hold two-thirds of the jobs in the lowest paying professions, employed as domestic workers, cleaners, and caregivers for children and the elderly.   Mlambo-Ngcuka, who became the executive director at the United Nation''s organization dedicated to gender equality three years ago, said her aim was not to sideline anyone from the campaign but to convert and widen the support base.   "Even if a young woman says she is not a feminist and there is no oppression of women, I will still fight for her if she gets raped or attacked by a mob," she said.   The focus of the fourth Women Deliver will be on how to implement the U.N.''s global goals relating to women, with a key focus on health as well as education and financial strength.   Mlambo-Ngcuka acknowledged achieving gender equality by 2030 was an ambitious target.   "But if we work together in as many countries as possible we can by 2030 have substantive equality and changes that are irreversible," she said.   A few quotes from the conference:   Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) - "By 2030, all women and girls must be able to enjoy their rights to live free of violence, coercion and discrimination, to control their destinies and fertility, and to play a full and equal role in building society and ending poverty. More than 220 million women still cannot get modern contraception. Each day, more than 800 women still die during pregnancy or childbirth, and more than 37,000 girls under 18 are married. How can the world develop if we exclude half the population?"   Helle Thorning-Schmidt, CEO of Save The Children International - "Despite tremendous progress, girls are still not receiving the same opportunities as boys. At both the global and national level, legislation and policies must be put in place to support women and girls. This includes eliminating harmful practices such as child marriage, female genital mutilation, and all forms of physical, sexual and psychological violence. Girls and women must have access to quality affordable healthcare and education. However, to achieve any of this, we must change attitudes about the value and rights of women and remove gender-based barriers and discrimination."   Helen Clark, Administrator of the UN Development Programme - "We must get more women into decision-making positions, not only because this is the right thing to do but because women decision-makers bring forward issues which previously were not adequately addressed. We must remove structural barriers to economic empowerment, such as unpaid work and the inability to own land or access credit. Finally, we should invest in women and girls as active agents of positive change. Closing gender gaps in labour markets, education, health, and other areas reduces poverty and hunger, improves the nutrition and education of children, and drives economic growth and agricultural production."   Mabel Van Oranje, Chair of Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage - "We cannot achieve gender equality if we don''t end the harmful practice of child marriage which affects 15 million girls a year. While progress has been made, more needs to be done. Firstly, everyone has a part to play: it requires a multi-sector approach, involving the health, education and economic sectors. Secondly, we must address the root causes of child marriage - poverty, conflict and gender inequality. Thirdly, we need to work with civil society organisations who understand the country context and have strong relationships in communities."   Julia Gillard, Chair of The Global Partnership for Education - "The under-education of girls is one of the most pressing social issues of our time. When we educate our girls, we see reduced child deaths, healthier children and mothers, fewer child marriages and faster economic growth. And yet, 63 million girls are not in school. This is unacceptable. We need to move beyond well-meaning but scattered advocacy and toward helping countries to build strong education systems that deliver quality education to all students."   Margaret Chan, Director-General Of The World Health Organisation - "I want to see women - all women - move to the pole position in the race for sustainable development. For that to happen, the world has to not just stop leaving women and girls behind. It means putting them out in front. Ensuring they are where discrimination and violence can no longer hold them back. Where they can get the education and employment opportunities they deserve."   Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women - "Addressing the issue of prejudice against women that is present in all societies is important for all of us no matter what country we come from. We have under-invested in ending these deep prejudices.. and need to look again at traditional laws that discriminate against women. At a macro level we need to make a change so women are looked at as solution providers for the family and the economy and not as dependents."   http://womendeliver.org/conference/wdlive/ http://womendeliver.org/conference/press-media/ http://wd2016.org/media-resources/virtual-conference/ http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/women-and-the-sdgs http://news.trust.org/womens-rights/ http://www.globalfundforwomen.org/ http://www.womankind.org.uk/ http://www.womenforwomen.org/newsroom http://www.bridge.ids.ac.uk/global-resources Visit the related web page
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