IASC Gender Handbook for Humanitarian Action, 2018

At a glance

Building on from the 2006 first edition, the 2018 IASC Gender Handbook for Humanitarian Action (the Gender Handbook) is a concise, sector-specific guide informed by lessons learned by the humanitarian community and reflects the main challenges and practical ways for humanitarian practitioners to take into account the experiences, and priorities of women, girls, boys and men in all their diversities throughout the assessment, planning, resource mobilization, implementation, and monitoring stages of the humanitarian programme cycle. The Gender Handbook reflects commitments pertaining to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, from the World Humanitarian Summit, the Grand Bargain, and the Sendai Framework Agreement.

The review of the handbook was undertaken by the IASC Gender Reference Group, under the leadership of UN Women and Oxfam, and endorsed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator in February 2018. An online, fully navigable, and searchable version in Arabic, English, French and Spanish is available at www.gihahandbook.org.

Five key /pieces of guidance for field leaders

1. Organised into three key parts, the Gender Handbook contains (A) a section on why gender matters in humanitarian action (B) Integrating Gender into the Humanitarian Programme Cycle and (C) a section on Gender Equality in each specific Sector.
2. Regarded as the most comprehensive information on gender in humanitarian action, the Gender Handbook provides normative framework for gender equality, and provides case studies and evidence base for advocacy as well as programming. 
3. The Gender Handbook is a resource and tool that helps humanitarian practitioners to implement the IASC Gender Policy and meet the requirements of the Gender Accountability Framework. It should be promoted to all humanitarians.
4. An online course based on the Handbook is hosted by UN Women’s Learning Centre and is freely available to all interested parties looking for a practical introduction to gender in humanitarian action. UN Women country offices regularly conduct in-person trainings for humanitarian frontline workers. 
5. For leaders, understanding that crises can exacerbate pre-existing gender inequalities, and that women, girls and boys and men have different needs, risks and capacities before, during and after an emergency that must be taken into account, and advocating for the consideration of these distinct needs and capacities as well as women and girls’ participation in strategic planning, decision making and programming, is critical. Leaders could promote the Gender Handbook to humanitarians to ensure they take into account gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls throughout the humanitarian program cycle.

What does the full handbook offer?

Specific Sector specific practical guidance on how to integrate gender equality matters at various parts of programming.

Updating the original 2006 handbook, the new version reflects current humanitarian coordination mechanisms and the recent commitment gains towards gender in humanitarian action developed at international fora such as the World Humanitarian Summit, the Grand Bargain and the Sendai Framework Agreement. The revised version is a concise guide built upon lessons learned by the humanitarian community and reflects the main challenges faced in ensuring that gender equality and women’s empowerment are mainstreamed throughout the assessment, planning, resource mobilization, implementation and monitoring stages of the humanitarian programme cycle.

The Gender Reference Group and UN Women, are pleased to announce the launch of an online version of the updated IASC Gender Handbook for Humanitarian Action. The platform contains practical information, case studies, and sector-by-sector guidance on mainstreaming and integrating gender aspects across all stages of the Humanitarian Programme Cycle. The site is fully navigable, and inclusive of cross references, footnotes, annexes and glossary definitions.  It is available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.

The review of the handbook was undertaken by the IASC Gender Reference Group in 2016. It was endorsed by the IASC to meet collective commitments on gender equality in humanitarian action and it promises to be a powerful tool for all actors engaged in the advancement of gender equality in humanitarian action. 

An online, fully navigable and searchable version of the handbook in Arabic, English, French and Spanish is available at www.gihahandbook.org