HIGHLIGHTSGENDER INSIGHTS IN THE PACIFIC EMERGENCIES GENDER IN HUMANITARIAN ACTION WORKSHOP 12-03-2012 BY LINDA PENNELLSIASC GENCAP ADVISER

Acknowledging collaboration with Vanuatu and Samoa Red Cross Societies, MWCD and UNDP

Session Flow

Gender insights into TC Vania in Vanuatu - 2010

Participants’ insights on the Fiji floods– 2012

Gender reflection on the Tuvalu Drought -2011

Gender insights from the Samoa Tsunami -2009

Introducing gender tools for humanitarian action

Gender Insights into TC Vania/AtuTwo TCs hit Tafea Province, S Vanuatu, in

early 2011 TC Vania (Jan 12-13) and TC Atu (Feb 20-

22) Prolonged wind and rain from TC Vania

(Cat 1) damage staple and cash crops TC Atu (Cat 4) deepens crop loss TCs piggybacked drought and volcanic

acid rain in Tanna, Tafea’s largest island

Women’s participation

Few women in: NDMO, TAGs, area councils, many community disaster committees, some NGOs

Without women: DRM has only half the energy, skills, solutions

Women’s participation is essential as a ‘critical mass’ in: Assessments All DRM mechanisms from NDMO down to

community Community disaster committees

WASH

Cluster approach attracts donors to step forward (TOR, timely assessment, response plan, strategic use of members’ capacities)

NFIs distributed then water systems repaired in 5 months (50+ systems)

Lost opportunity – no engagement of women/men to revitalize water user groups – no hygiene, sanitation or O&M - could have built onto RWS and NGO training/facilitation

Shortage of women in WASH distribution teams (one only per team)

WASH cont’d

Gender analysis warranted: collapsible jerry cans, purification tabs vs filters

Good gender practice: Gender-balanced team demonstrate water

testing in Tanna communities Cluster post-completion questionnaire shows

women as well as men influenced design in some communities

VRCS field teams identify/correct Aniwa beneficiary lists: 45 uncounted HHs, mainly widow and single-mother HHs

Agriculture and Food

Response revolves around distribution of rice, fast-growing seeds and cuttings.

600+ bags of rice were rain damaged. Others walked.

Stakeholder and community consultations suggest that, “women would not let rice get wet and spoil” and their involvement would better insure inclusive equitable and accountable distribution

Agriculture – good practice

Distribution of seeds andcuttings familiar to Tafeamen & women

Livelihoods assessmentof Futuna and Aniwacalled for balancedsupport to pandanushandicrafts (women’sincome) and fisheriesindustries (men’s

income).

Power of ‘kava mail’ – nakamal network facilitates exchange of Middlebush taro for W Tanna coconut

Chiefs close markets

Consultation: Tafeo Coop Market (21 women vendors)

Reason for closure: “If they see you selling, there will be no rice”

Result: Lost income Rotting food Customers forced to buy less-nutritious

costly shop food*Sale of kava and Whitesands fish was not

interrupted

Protection

Risks to children, especially girls, were identified in the Vania Joint Damage Assessment but no formal protection response followed.

Violence and neglect data: Tanna Women’s Counseling Centre

New domestic violence clients: up more than 300% 2010 (12 months) – 12 2011 (9 months) - 39

More cases of men not paying child maintenance 2010 (12 months) – 14 2011 (9 months) - 39

Protection

UNICEF pocket-sized brochure used in WASH distribution included psycho-social messages.

One psycho-social stress cited, particularly for women, is failure to meet church donation targets.

Health and Nutrition

Action Needed

Lenakel Hospital: Due to unrepaired damage of reproductive health unit, post-Vania drop in pre-natal and post-natal consultations, increase in unplanned pregnancies, increase in hospital admissions from bush abortions gone wrong.

Health and Nutrition cont’d

Priority not invested in collecting health lessons learned. MoH/WHO do not collect sex-disaggregated data for disaster response (child or adult) or document variances between women and men.

Nutrition: Three weeks after cyclone strike was identified as the ‘hunger peak’. Nutrition needs were not fully assessed for timely response (e.g. micro-

nutrients, Vit A, iodized salt, breastfeeding). Long-term potential of cluster assessment: evidence to identify an appropriate ‘food basket’ and pre-positioning arrangements.

SC discussing research into boy preference and its potential manifestation in emergencies (food, school)

Education

MoE took responsibility for repairing schools and waived secondary school fees to prevent student pull-out.

EMIS reports total Tafea secondary enrollment in the term following the cyclones as 1139 boys and 1137 girls. This is 47 more boys and 143 more girls than in the corresponding term in 2010.

The telling evidence will be in student attendance – figures not yet available.

Questions and Comments

Plenary discussion: Vania response

On to the Fiji floods – pairs discussion

Gender Insights – Tuvalu Drought No attempt to focus on the most vulnerable:

i.e. water and NFIs for all - no extra water for pregnant and lactating women

Women’s Division excluded from drought decision-making body

Outer island assessment (5 islands) team includes 1 woman and 13 men

No gender analysis of root causes of drought and water management practices (i.e. poor guttering care, leaking tanks, wasteful water use)

Gender Insights – Samoa Tsunami Most deaths: children, women and the elderly – assesscapacities and vulnerabilities of women, girls, boys,

menPreparedness Better vulnerability mapping by community men

and women: people living on the fringe of villages (FHHs, freeholders, ostracized families, squatters) e.g. Ma Nuu Manuia Project

Clear distribution criteria and process- full participation of women and men

More gender analysis, sex and age disaggregated data and gender indicators in DRR and recovery (Progress Report: Hyogo and DRM -2011)

Better land dispute mechanisms for all, especially women

Gender Insights continued

Micro credit interest relief is in place Coordinated mental health mechanism for

psycho-social response and skills upgrading in trauma counseling for equal # of men & women

Response Ensure equity in shelter and water sharing

e.g. community cohesion suffers when some extended families get one fale and others get fales for each of their constituent nuclear families; community water tanks. Experience shows engaging women can assist with both water and shelter equity.

Early Recovery Ensure equal benefit. Be pro-active in ensuring

men and women fully participate in planning & in livelihoods

Gender Insights – continued

More consideration is needed to a Protection Cluster and protection issues: (gaps)

Weak capture of domestic violence / GBV

Care giver burn-out and unmet PS need American wives advertise ‘come get an

orphan’ Involve but do not over-rely on women’s

committees, pastors and their wives in times of family trauma

Ensure a gender analysis: e.g. boys play dead/burying games; Poutasi teacher reports boys and male teachers able to return to school weeks earlier than girls and female teachers

Best Practices

Some good efforts to have a critical mass of women and men in field teams (SRC 60%M-40%W)

Samoan diaspora (women and men) contributed to high level of appropriateness in food and NFIs. Still needed, however, is a list of appropriate food and NFIs including drugs, ensuring infant formula does not replace breast milk, food is not expired and items are culturally appropriate.

Private sector initiative: tourist fale recovery – vital employment for young men and women (fewer alternatives for female youth)

Gender Resources

IASC Gender Marker Tip Sheets: gender analysis questions and tips to help create gender-responsive projects: http://gencap.oneresponse.info

Free gender e-training which features gender issues in each humanitarian cluster. Certificate issued for all who complete this interactive training:www.iasc-elearning.org or order a free CD ROM from gender@iasc.elearning.org