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
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.
Ukraine
As global leaders, donors, and civil society gather in Rome for the 2025 Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC), Ukraine stands at a pivotal juncture. The conference is a critical opportunity to ensure that recovery efforts do not…
Ukraine
Ukrainian and international NGOs working on the gendered impacts of the war in Ukraine continue to call for all reconstruction and recovery processes to ensure the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation and leadership of diverse…
Ukraine
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…
Ukraine + 3 more
Summary: The full-scale war in Ukraine has profoundly disrupted the lives of all Ukrainians, affecting families, communities, and social structures both within the country and in host countries such as Poland, Romania, and Moldova. The war has…
Ukraine
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…
Ukraine + 2 more
Why women’s organizations are essential for reducing violence against women One in three women will experience gender-based violence in her lifetime. Violence increases in conflict and crisis, and the risks only multiply online. Harassment, stolen images, deepfakes,…
Ukraine
KHERSON/KYIV, Ukraine – In a neonatal unit at Kyiv Hospital, Anton* rests in a mobile incubator. He was born premature three days earlier, an occurrence that health workers say has become increasingly common. “Many of the women…
Ukraine
Remarks by Sabine Freizer Gunes, UN Women Representative in Ukraine, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Thank you very much for having me here today. I am here to share an update about the situation of…
Ukraine
The International Rescue Committee conducted a multisectoral needs assessment across seven most affected oblasts in eastern and southern Ukraine from August 29 to October 7, 2025, in collaboration with local partner organizations Fortitude, Shchedryk, Star Ukraine,…
Ukraine
Introduction This report presents the findings of the Risk Assessment conducted at the Pavlohrad 2 Transit Center in Dnipropetrovska Oblast, which provides support to evacuees from Dnipropetrovska and Donetska Oblasts. The Center is a school facility that…
Ukraine
Introduction This report presents the findings of the Risk Assessment conducted at the Voloske Transit Center in Dnipropetrovska Oblast, which provides support to mainly evacuees from Dnipropetrovska Oblast. The Center is a school facility that opened in…
Ukraine
1 Transit Centers Risk Assessment Report Lozova, Kharkivska Oblast – September 2025 Introduction This report presents the findings of Risk Assessment conducted at the Lozova Transit Center in Kharkivska Oblast, which provides support to evacuees from Donetska Oblast. The Transit…
Ukraine
OVERVIEW This Post-Distribution Monitoring (PDM) aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and accountability to affected population (AAP) of the dignity kits distribution program across Dnipropetrovska, Kharkivska, Khersonska, and Mykolaivska oblasts of Ukraine, conducted from November 2023 to April…
World
Technology and digital tools are transforming everyday life, opening new opportunities for women and girls—but they are also being weaponized to harass, threaten, and silence them online. Technology-facilitated violence against women and girls (TF VAWG) is…
World
UN Women commissioned this guidance to support the inclusion of the perspectives of persons with disabilities throughout the UN Women evaluation cycle. The guide comprises: an introduction, outlining its relevance to UN Women’s mandate, its purpose and…
World
Women migrant workers face distinct challenges and risks throughout the labour migration cycle, often rooted in gender inequality and discriminatory norms. When equipped with accurate, accessible, and gender-sensitive information, they are better able to make informed…
