Gender in Humanitarian Action Working Group (GiHA WG)

About Gender in Humanitarian Action Working Group

The Gender in Humanitarian Action Working Group (GiHA WG) is a subsidiary of the UN Country Team’s (UNCT) Gender Theme Group. The GiHA WG offers interagency and intersectoral technical capacity to the Humanitarian Coordinator, the Humanitarian Country Team and all other stakeholders involved in the humanitarian response, including government authorities, to ensure the integration of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. The overarching objective of the GiHA WG is to ensure the coordinated humanitarian response in Ukraine robustly integrates gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, adhering to the guidelines established by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) 2017 Gender Policy.

The GiHA WG aims to

• Enhance decision-making and communication on gender equality within humanitarian clusters and stakeholders

• Provide technical and policy support on gender equality and empowerment of women and girls

• Strengthen capacities for gender analysis, gender transformative programming, and gender-responsive strategies

• Advocate for inclusive, meaningful participation and leadership of women’s and LGBTIQA+ individuals

For additional details about the GiHA WG, kindly refer to the group's Terms of Reference.

To access GiHA WG 2025 Work Plan, kindly refer to the following link: GiHA WG 2025 Work Plan

If your organization wants to be a member of the GiHA WG, please register here or send an email to fatih.kilinc@unwomen.org 

Definition of Women's Rights Organizations (WROs)

The Gender in Humanitarian Action Working Group (GiHA WG) has introduced a revised definition of Women’s Rights Organizations (WROs) in consultation with WROs specifically tailored to the unique context of the Ukrainian humanitarian response. In Ukraine, while many women-led organizations (WLOs) are engaged in humanitarian activities, they do not always prioritize or represent the specific needs of crisis-affected women and girls, nor do they consistently focus on advancing gender equality. The definitions of WROs developed by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), Grand Bargain, and the UN Partner Portals, while valuable, do not fully address these nuanced dynamics. Therefore, the GiHA WG’s revised definition distinguishes between organizations that are women-led and those that are actively committed to promoting women's rights and gender equality.

The definition proposed by GiHA WG is crucial for accurately channeling and tracking funding, ensuring that resources support organizations dedicated to transforming gender inequalities and empowering women and girls. It also enhances the ability to monitor the impact of funding, ensuring alignment with the Grand Bargain’s emphasis on transparency and accountability.

Based on the above rationale, GiHA WG defines WROs as the following:

A Women’s Rights Organization (WRO) is:

1) An organization that self-identifies as a woman’s rights organization with the primary focus of advancing gender equality, women’s empowerment and human rights; or 

2) An organization that has, as part of its mission statement, the advancement of women’s and girls’ interests and rights (or where ‘women’, ‘girls’, ‘gender’ or local language equivalents are prominent in their mission statement); or 

3) An organization that has, as part of its mission statement or objectives, to challenge and transform gender inequalities (unjust rules), unequal power relations and promoting positive social norms.

Жіноча правозахисна організація - це:

1) Організація, яка ідентифікує себе як жіноча правозахисна організація та має за основну мету просування гендерної рівності, розширення прав і можливостей жінок та прав людини; або

2) Організація, у місії якої зафіксоване просування інтересів і прав жінок та дівчат (або «жінки», «дівчата», «гендер» та інші дотичні терміни згадуються в місії); або

3) Організація, у місії або цілях якої зафіксоване завдання зменшувати та трансформувати гендерну нерівність, нерівні владні відносини та просувати позитивні соціальні норми.

Rapid Gender Analysis

ReliefWeb results

Ukraine

Resilience Analysis - Ukraine: Assessing Shock Exposure, Coping and Resilience of Households and Communities in Dnipropetrovska, Kharkivska, and Zaporizka Oblasts Amidst Russian Full-Scale Invasion

Summary Report

The resilience analysis was commissioned by CARE Ukraine to better understand key elements for increasing resilience of Ukraine’s households affected by war, including capacities and assets to cope with shocks, stresses and uncertainty. In line with…

Formato:
Analysis
Origen:
CARE
Posted:
20 Jun 2025
Archivos:
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Ukraine

Advocacy brief – Three years of full-scale war in Ukraine [EN/UK]

English version

Three years into the war in Ukraine, the toll on civilians remains devastating — especially for women and girls. Yet, amid the hardship, Ukrainian communities and civil society organizations continue to show remarkable resilience, bolstered by…

Formato:
Analysis
Origen:
CARE
Posted:
24 Feb 2025
Archivos:
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News and Press Release

ReliefWeb results

Ukraine

Ukrainian women at the front lines of resistance and recovery

UN Women helped 180,000 Ukrainian women in 2024 to lead in recovery efforts, politics, businesses and more. "I can't imagine myself anywhere else,” says Kseniia Mishyna, although she cannot remember when she last ate or slept or…

Formato:
News and Press Release
Origen:
UN Women
Posted:
30 Jun 2025
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Assessments and Analysis

ReliefWeb results

Ukraine

Modular Town Risk Assessment Report Khersonska Oblast - February 2025 [EN/UK]

English version

Introduction This report presents the findings of the Risk Assessment conducted at Kyselivka Modular Town (in Chornobaivskyi, Khersonska), which has a dual-purpose modality serving as a Collective site and Transit site. Kyselivka modular town opened in July…

Formato:
Assessment
Origen:
GBV AoR, Protection Cluster, UNFPA
Posted:
2 May 2025
Archivos:
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Ukraine

Transit Centers Risk Assessment Report Kharkivska Oblast - March 2025 [EN/UK]

English version

Introduction This report presents the findings of Risk Assessment conducted at the Transit Centers of Kharkiv City and Izium, both of which provide support to evacuees from Kharkivska Oblast. The Kharkiv Transit Center (TC) opened in May…

Formato:
Assessment
Origen:
GBV AoR, Protection Cluster, UNFPA
Posted:
2 May 2025
Archivos:
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Manuals and Guidelines

ReliefWeb results

Ukraine

The Gender in Humanitarian Action Working Group in Ukraine: A Case Study of Good Practices and Lessons Learned, May 2025 [EN/UK]

English version

Introduction Since 2022, the Gender in Humanitarian Action Working Group (GiHA WG) in Ukraine has been actively working to integrate gender equality and women’s empowerment into humanitarian response efforts across the country. This report showcases good practices…

Formato:
Manual and Guideline
Origen:
CARE, UN Women
Posted:
27 May 2025
Archivos:
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Syrian Arab Republic

Gender Equality Policy for Humanitarian Organizations, May 2025

Background The Gender Working Group (GWG) in the Syria cross-border humanitarian operation works to facilitate and deliver on agreed Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) commitments to mainstream and advance gender equality into humanitarian action. The GWG provides technical…

Formato:
Manual and Guideline
Origen:
UN Women
Posted:
13 May 2025
Archivos:
Descargar
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Gender in Humanitarian Action Working Group Calendar

Partner Events