Security and Empowerment for Women and their Families: Ensuring a Gender- Responsive Humanitarian and Early Recovery Response in Haiti

2010-2012 Funding: US$200,000 Project in cooperation with This program responds to the urgent humanitarian and early recovery imperatives in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti. It also builds on the foundation of the current UNIFEM programming around gender responsive governance, economic security and advancing women’s rights. The scope of programming proposed is informed by the: 1. Emergency plan of action agreed to between the Ministry of Women’s Condition and Rights and UNIFEM; and 2. UNIFEM component of the UN Flash Appeal which was launched on the 15th January 2010.

Project’s Objective: Urgent humanitarian and early recovery essentials in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti.

Project: Builds on the foundation of the current UNIFEM programming around gender responsive governance, economic security and advancing women’s rights.

January 12, 2010 Earthquake in Haiti The most affected cities are Port-au-Prince, Léogane, Petite Goave and Jacmel because the epicenter of the earthquake was 15 km from Port-au-Prince. According to preliminary estimates, a million people had been affected; 250,000 needing urgent assistance. The authorities estimate that more than 50,000 people died, and more than 3 million people live in the most affected zones.

50,000 people died

people still live in the most affected zones. More than 3 million people still live in the most affected zones.

NO FOOD

NO HEALTH CARE

NO SHELTER

electricity, water, and means of transport and security services. NO electricity, water, and means of transport and security services. Port au Prince and the other affected areas are characterized by widespread destruction of the infrastructure and the consequential disruption of already limited basic services. The population is mainly without shelter, electricity, water, food, health care, and means of transport and security services. The most affected populations, in districts most physically damaged, lost all their tangible properties including their papers of civil identification. In addition, survivors can barely access financial resources and many sectors are paralyzed – health, education, energy, or being reactivated too slowly - banking and markets.

Post-catastrophe specific risks increase for women. Violence against women increases when countries are in crisis. Post-catastrophe specific risks increase for women.

Of the country’s 10 million inhabitants, 52 percent are women. Women of Haiti Of the country’s 10 million inhabitants, 52 percent are women. 42 percent of women are below the age of 15. Source: United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)

Women of Haiti 100 percent of Haitian girls between the ages 5 and 9 work. Source: United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)

Women of Haiti Almost 60 percent of women cannot read or write. Source: United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)

Do so, despite lower educational and labor force participation rates. Women of Haiti Carry the disproportionate burden of care for children and other family dependents. Do so, despite lower educational and labor force participation rates. These two factors also explain the high levels of poverty of women’s households. Yet still communities depend on women’s social and reproductive work as a central component of wellbeing. Apart from their differential experience of poverty, rigid gender roles and inequalities make women vulnerable to gender-based violence and to exclusion from political decision making. In time of emergencies, whether political or natural disaster-related, Haitian women and girls have experienced heightened exposure to acts of violence and in particular sexual violence.

Nearly half of the households are headed by women. Some reports state that 42% of Haitian households are headed by women. Nearly half of the households are headed by women.

Women of Haiti Roughly 42 percent of households are headed by women who carry the burden and joy of caring for children and for other family dependents. In the aftermath of the earthquake, this responsibility will increase as women seek out the most basic of services to keep their families intact and to assist their communities in making the hardest of adjustments, to the loss of loved ones, to the loss of the security of the known. In both the humanitarian and early recovery efforts, attention must be given to ensuring that those who carry the responsibility of the care for others are given the needed resources and opportunities.

Violence Against Women

Violence Against Women Haiti has the highest rates of women affected by violence in the region and in the world. World Bank figures estimate that 70 percent of Haitian women have been affected by some kind of violence, either in domestic or public. Source: United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)

MORE acts of VIOLENCE in particular SEXUAL violence. Violence Against Women MORE acts of VIOLENCE in particular SEXUAL violence.

Haitian Women Are Demanding The devastating January 12th earthquake hit hard at the Haitian women’s movement, taking the lives of a number of leading activists.

TO END

The gender-based violence! Some significant progress has been made towards these goals since 2004. And, so in the midst of the earthquake tragedy, UNIFEM with its partners have prioritized processes that will ensure that women both contribute to and benefit from in equitable measure the humanitarian response and that the gains that have been made to eliminate the culture of acceptance of harm against women are not reversed.

Haitian Women Are Demanding EQUAL VOICE and influence over political and economic governance processes!

Program’s Principles: 1. Strengthened capacity of the Ministry on the Status of Women and Women’s Rights to ensure gender- responsive humanitarian interventions. The principles which guide the UNIFEM program include: 1. The imperative of a gender-responsive humanitarian response that takes into account gender differentials in need, responsibilities, vulnerabilities and strengths; 2. The need for women, women’s organizations and civil society to participate in decision-making over priority areas of action and in the allocation of resources; 3. The importance of strengthening the Ministry of Women’s Condition and Rights and women’s organizations/civil society institutions through capacity support for ownership of the humanitarian and early recovery efforts; 4. The link between immediate humanitarian response and the consequential early recovery actions in order to strengthen the fabric of democratic governance, participation and equality. Ministry on the Status of Women and Women’s Rights (MCFDF)

Program’s Principles: 2. Increased resources and tools to provide services for women and their families, especially shelter.

Program’s Principles: 3. Improved means and structures to work on prevention of violence against women.

Tactics: Establishing of funds to be provided to women’s groups who work with women producers. UNIFEM will establish a basket fund to ensure the flow of resources to civil society organizations and/or women’s groups who are working with women producers. This fund will be complemented by capacity building of women for restoring, strengthening or imparting new livelihood/entrepreneurial skills linked to market access. Workshops, trainings and seminars will be provided on management, small business administration, community organizing and networking, as well as trainings on non-traditional skills which will be needed during reconstruction process.

Tactics: Providing seminars, workshops and training on management, business, communications and networking skills.

Tactics: Providing training for non- traditional skills needed during reconstruction process.

Goals: Give women strong voice in the planning and implementation of short-term relief efforts as well as in the processes of rebuilding.

Goals: Providing safe houses and protection for women victims of violence. Presently only three formalized shelters exist in Port au Prince. It is very likely that these shelters will experience a dramatic increase in demand for their services, not only in relation to the violence response, but also just as shelters.

UNIFEM in Haiti Nicole Kidman, UNIFEM’s Goodwill Ambassador, during her visit to Haiti. Kidman has lent her support as the spokesperson to UNIFEM’s Say No –Unite to End Violence Against Women initiative. Nicole Kidman, UNIFEM’s Goodwill Ambassador, during her visit to Haiti.

UNIFEM in Haiti Since 2004, UNIFEM has been working in Haiti demanding for challenging of the gender equality issues and working to empower women. Since 2004, UNIFEM has prioritized programming in Haiti in response to the demands of both state and non state actors to address the challenges of gender equality and women’s empowerment. In collaboration with key national partners, including the Ministry on the Status of Women and Women’s Rights (MCFDF) and key organizations within the women’s movement, UNIFEM is contributing to building institutional capacity around gender mainstreaming and the promotion of women’s human rights as well as supporting processes which focus on women’s political participation. However, the main thrust of the work to date has been in the area of gender justice and security given the importance of addressing systematic violations of women’s security rights as well as the prevalence of gender-based violence exacerbated in times of crisis.

Empowering women is crucial to shape the country’s future.

Zontians are good advocates for Haitian Women.

Give Generously.

Women of Haiti thank you for your SUPPORT!