October 2017
EmPOWER Girls: Before, During and After Emergencies
When girls’ lives are disrupted by climate change, disaster and protracted conflict – events that can uproot them from their homes – there are risks, violations and vulnerabilities they face just because they are girls.[1] Most of these dangers are directly linked to the economic, political, social and cultural disadvantages girls deal with in their daily lives.
For example, in times of crisis, girls often have fewer resources, less mobility, and more difficulty access life-saving information and networks. Violence, including sexual, school-related gender-based violence, child marriage – basic human rights and protection issues – can become more acute in the wake of disaster.
However, girls are also resilient. Long-term solutions designed with and for girls can strengthen this resilience and be a pathway of transformational and lifelong opportunity for girls. Girls, especially adolescent girls, need platforms to voice the challenges they face in everyday life and explore the solutions that work for them so they can build better futures for themselves and their communities.
Empowering girls requires focused investment and collaboration between emergency preparedness, emergency response and development sectors. Providing girls with the services and safety, education, skills and resilience they need in daily life can reduce the risks they face when a conflict or disaster strikes.
On October 11th2017, the International Day of the Girl will highlight the challenges and opportunities millions of girls face before, during and after crises. The theme for the day is EmPOWER girls: Emergency response and resilience planning. The efforts of EmPOWEREDgirls in different emergency context will be highlighted. Examples include girls’ efforts to prevent violence in emergencies, build resilient communities, and learn twenty-first century skills so they can be the future leaders in disaster risk reduction and emergency response.
The message will be spread with a video, supported by a coalition of partners, that will be promoted on the Google homepage in 52 countries on 11 October. In addition, there will be global U-Report and social media activations.
Not just a day
International Day of the Girl launches a year-long long communication and programming effort to bring together multi-sectoral partners to draw attention to girls’ needs and opportunities including:
- Access to programmes specifically tailored to the needs of girls – with a focus on ending violence and incorporating the needs and contributions of girls from vulnerable groups, including those with disabilities.
- Participation in all processes affecting girls, including in disaster management and resilience, peacebuilding, and recovery efforts.
- The need for high-quality data on girls in emergencies – collected safely and ethically – to identify programme gaps and opportunities, track results and progress, and remain accountable.
Key Messages and Facts
In times of crisis – caused by disaster, conflict or the effects of climate change – girls face particular risks, violations and vulnerabilities just because they are girls.
Girls have an especially difficult time accessing life-saving resources, information and social networks.[2]
Girls are 2.5 times more likely to be out of school than boys in countries affected by conflict.[3]
Though data on girls in emergences is limited, a2017 survey conducted in some conflict-affected parts of Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 52 per cent of adolescent girls reported experiencing at least one form of violence in the previous 12 months.[4]
Violence, including sexual violence, school-related gender based violence and child marriage, is a health, human rights and protection issue that occurs at every stage of a conflict, and may become more acute in the wake of a disaster. The victims are usually women and adolescents, whose vulnerability is exacerbated in the chaos of a crisis.[5]
Longer-term, age-appropriate programming solutions designed with and for girls can strengthen the resilience of the millions of girls already living in emergency,[6]fragile and risk prone settings.
Finding innovative ways to hear from young girls directly and provide them with relevant information is critical. For example, U-Report, a messaging tool with 3.6 million youth subscribers, provided essential information and answers to questions in the aftermath of hurricanes Irma, Jose and Maria. More than 8,700 users were female.
Helping girls identify ways to feel safe is essential. In Nepal, for example, UNICEF worked with girls and boys to create risk maps for their communities and schools, which were then incorporated into local plans to protect water points, clear drains and make schools safe during the rainy season.[7]
Some of the challenges that girls face concerning menstruation during emergencies including a lack of places to obtain sanitary protection materials and lack of facilities to wash, dry or dispose of them.[8] In 2016, UNICEF provided menstrual health and hygiene materials to girls and women in emergency situations in 31 countries, reaching almost 1 million women and girls.[9]
The Compact for Young People in Humanitarian Action (Youth Compact), endorsed by UNICEF and more than 40 humanitarian organizations is committed to making sure that young people, including adolescent girls, are informed, consulted and meaningfully engaged throughout all stages of humanitarian action.[10]
Providing girls with relevant services and safety, education, skills and resilience can reduce the risks they face when a conflict or disaster hits. But it requires coordinated efforts that are in place before a crisis starts and continues in its aftermath.
Governments must have existing legislation, policies and multi-sectoral programmes that protect from violence so abuses are less likely to be amplified in crisis situations.
In emergencies,safe spaces allow them to feel physically and emotionally safe, with the freedom to express themselves without fear of judgment or harm. These spaces must provide information about girls’ sexual and reproductive health,focus on developing social networks and life skills, and address the needs of young mothers and married or pregnant girls.[11]
Healthcare providersat the front line of response in emergencies can play a central role in identifying protection concerns, developing prevention strategies, and providing referrals to other services.[12]
Reducing risks of violence against girls and responding to their unique needs is required at scale and in line with humanitarian standards,[13] including in schools.
Addressing school-related gender-based violence must be integrated into education programmes to prepare teachers, including awareness of gender stereotypes in teaching and learning materials.[14]
Greater investment in girls’ education in conflict-affected contexts is required. $8.5 billion is needed annually to close this gap.[15]
Take Action on October 11
- #FreedomForGirls film and Call to Action
UNICEF is partnering with a coation of NGOs to promote an empowering film focused on progress for girls around the world. The film will go live on the Google homepage in over 50 countries on 11 October.
The call to action is: Share the #FreedomForGirls film and tell us what #FreedomForGirls means to you!
For example:
- #FreedomForGirls is living without fear of violence
- #FreedomForGirls is access to healthcare
- #FreedomFor Girls is a safe space in emergency
- #FreedomForGirls is education – even in conflict
- #FreedomForGirls is having the same opportunities as my brothers
- #FreedomForGirls is the right to choose when and who to marry
- #FreedomForGirls having a toilet at school
- #FreedomForGirls is having my voice heard
UNICEF will share the final film for local upload and an asset pack on Monday 9th October. The asset pack will include social media messages, translated subtitled versions of the film in 31 languages and a 15 second version for Instagram. All will be available Monday, 9 October on WeShare:
External (Partners) -
- Engage with U-Report
U-Report is a platform that uses socialmessaging to engage young girls and boysaround the world –in locations at peace, in conflict, with current disasters – withrelevant polls and real-time informationon issues that matter to them most. It provides a space for young people to offer solutions that work for them.More than 3.6 million users are currently subscribed to U-Report. Efforts are currently underway to develop a U-Report information centre on ending violence against girls. The information centre will connect young users directly to the information and tools they want to be advocates for change in their own communities. The anticipated launch is November 2017.
We encourage you from now and through IDG to reach out to girls on social media to become U-Reporters:
Facebook post
YOU can help end violence against girls before, during and after emergencies. Become a U-Reporter to learn more! Send us a message to join today – because your voice matters.
Tweets
Are you ready to help #EndViolence against girls? Raise your voice by becoming a U-Reporter! Follow @UReportGlobal to join today. #Dayofthegirl
Help #EndViolence against girls B4, during & after emergencies: become a U-Reporter & learn how! Follow @UReportGlobal 2 join. #Dayofthegirl
Become a U-Reporter & help #EndViolence against girls before, during & after emergencies. Follow @UReportGlobal to join! #Dayofthegirl
Email text
Are you ready to help #EndViolence against girls? Girls' freedom from violence before, during and after emergencies requires everyone's involvement. Raise your voice by becoming a U-Reporter! Send a message toU-Report on Facebookor follow@UReportGlobal on Twitterto join and take action. Because your voice matters.
A reminder that all social media and other assets will be available on WeShareon October 9th:
External -
[1] United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction: The Human Cost of Weather Related Disasters:
[2] Women’s Refugee Commission: I’m Here: Adolescent Girls in Emergencies:
[3]UNESCO:
[4] US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health: Prevalence, associated risk factors of violence against conflict-affected female adolescents
[5] United Nations Population Fund Gender-based violence in humanitarian settings
[6] UNHCR:
[7] UNICEF:
[8] UNICEF: Menstrual Hygiene Management in Emergencies: Taking Stock of Support from UNICEF and Partners:
[9] UNICEF Annual Results Report 2016 Gender Equality, pg. 51, Cross-Cutting Areas Humanitarian Action and Gender
[10]
[11]
[12] United Nations Population Fund: Minimum Standards for Prevention and Response to Gender-based Violence in Emergencies
[13]Inter-agency Standing Committee Guidelines for Integrating Gender-Based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Action
[14] United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI)
[15] Education Cannot Wait Initiative: