Why gender matters in humanitarian WASH responses
In any crisis — whether natural disaster, conflict, displacement or outbreak — the effects are rarely the same for everyone. Gender shapes who fetches water, who re-builds, who cleans, who does care-work, who controls the finances, who makes decisions. If we ignore those differences, we risk deepening inequalities.Effective, dignified humanitarian WaSH responses must centre on gender-aware planning and action.
Our approach is rooted in the principle that “people” in programmes are not a single, homogeneous group: they are women and men, girls and boys, with different needs, responsibilities and experiences. That’s why our gender work is not an “add-on” — it is integral to every WASH intervention, from assessment through to monitoring and evaluation.
For full Gender in Emergencies resources, please see the links below.
For extracted guidance specific to GiE and WASH, please see the PDF in the Ressource Section: