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 + 3 more
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Please see the attached infographic.
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Women-led organizations and women's rights organizations have played a central role in responding to the war in Ukraine and refugee hosting countries, providing frontline services, addressing gender-based violence, and supporting displaced populations. However, these organizations continue…
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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…
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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…
