Women and Girls in Humanitarian Crises

Women and Girls in Humanitarian Crises: Of the 143 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, one in four are women and adolescent girls of reproductive age. Their rights, safety, health and dignity are undermined by the collapse of health and justice systems. No matter the kind of crisis – whether natural hazard, violent conflict, or disease outbreak – affected women and girls have little to no access to sexual and reproductive health services and are at increased risk of sexual and gender-based violence. This session will call for renewed efforts to amplify the voice and reaffirm the agency of women and adolescent girls in all phases of a humanitarian emergency, from preparation efforts before a crisis through the response and recovery.