Emergency Shelter: Gender Mainstreaming Tip Sheet

Gender Equality in Emergency Project Design

(1) Needs A needs assessment is the essential first step in providing shelter that is safe and
Assessment acceptable in the eyes of men/boys and women/girls. It is critical to understand the
social and gender dynamics that could help or hinder getting shelter as ‘right’ as
possible. . This is why we need to consider the different roles and perceptions of
both men and women (“gender analysis”) in understanding shelter needs.
Here are examples of questions that can enrich the design of shelter projects. They
also demonstrate to donors that you have fully considered gender differences in
designing the program.
• What are the demographics of the target group? (# of women, girls, boys and
men, # single family households disaggregated by sex, number of M/F
unaccompanied children, elderly, disabled, people living with HIV/AIDS)
• What do women, girls, boys and men do in their home/shelter? (e.g. domestic
chores, personal hygiene, income generation, care-giving) What space, privacy
and design features do they need to allow them to do these tasks with dignity and
as much comfort as possible?
• If women, girls, boys and men could suggest three design features of their shelter,
what would they be?
• What knowledge do women, girls, boys and men bring to shelter material
selection, collection and construction? (e.g. making bricks, weaving
bush-material partitions)
• How can there be equitable sharing of the paid and unpaid tasks in shelter
construction or repair?
• What concerns do women, girls, men and boys have about their personal safety
related to housing? What needs to be done so they feel safe?
• Do cultural norms enable women and men to participate equally in decision-
making on shelter issues, or is affirmative action needed so women can
participate in a meaningful way?
• Are there discriminatory practices or laws that disadvantage either men/boys or
women/girls, or vulnerable subgroups of either sex, related to the allocation of
shelter sites, rooms in collective accommodation or access to land for housing?
• Are there measures in place to ensure, (1) there is no sexual violence due to poor
shelter conditions, and (2) women, girls, men and boys with special shelter needs
or vulnerabilities are prioritized and supported?
(2) Activities The analysis of differences between men/women/boys/girls in your needs
assessment will identify problems or gaps that need to be addressed. These should
be dealt with in the activities. Examples:
Problem: In the previous emergency shelter response, shelter teams assumed that
women prefer to cook outside. Emergency shelters and some early-constructed

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See the IASC Gender Handbook in Humanitarian Action: Women, Girls, Boys and Men – Different Needs/Equal Opportunities,
pp.97-104

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houses were built with no kitchen. Soon, women and their families were scrambling
to find any possible material to cobble together an extension to shade their cooking
areas. If women had been asked, they would have explained that they do not cook in
the open in monsoon rains or oppressive heat. The assessment team heard about
this and other design problems from women reflecting on previous emergency and
transitional shelter.
Response Activities: Ensure women and girls have equal voice with beneficiary men
and boys in all shelter and housing design.
Problem: The needs assessment team found many men and women skeptical about
the housing response. They related stories from an earlier cyclone response, where
implementers built elaborate houses for some and basic, sometimes shoddy, houses
for others. This caused jealousy and problems with community harmony. Women,
who spend most time in and around their homes, were the most distressed.
Response Activities: Ensure gender and social dynamics are assessed and that all
shelter cluster partners agree on shelter standards and an equitable response.
Problem: The needs assessment shows that pre-crisis about 20% of the
earthquake-affected women operated home-based micro businesses. These
businesses made important contributions to their families’ incomes. Before the crisis,
most men migrated for seasonal work, but rushed home after the earthquake to look
after their families.
Response Activities: (1) In the emergency response phase, work with women to
identify and allocate appropriate space for their income-earning activities. Ensure the
design of transition and permanent housing accommodates, and does not restrict,
women’s home-based business. (2) Ensure that men’s seasonal and migrant
opportunities, and any disaster-related disruption of this income, are appropriately
factored into shelter cluster jobs and training.
Problem: The first dormitories and tents have been erected, and more IDPs are
streaming in; more shelter will be needed. Elections have been held for shelter
leaders at each of the already constructed shelters; at one shelter these were held
just before meal time, while women were preparing food in the communal kitchen.
Within a week of the election, one of the male leaders was publicly boasting to army
patrols that, for a fee, they could have a ‘feast’ of the women in the women’s shelter
he was responsible for. There was rape and harassment for three nights before the
women identified who they could complain to, and had the courage to defy the
‘shelter leader’. The pimping leader was removed, but doing so caused tension and
fighting among beneficiaries.
Response Activities: (1) Ensure gender-responsive shelter management. This
includes, for example, (a) facilitating beneficiary men and women to identify the
characteristics of good leaders before they elect their shelter leaders, including equal
numbers of men and women; (b) holding meetings and elections at appropriate times
and places so both women and men can participate, and (c) facilitating female and
male shelter residents to create a code of conduct for their shelter.
This case study also points out the critical need for links between the shelter and
protection clusters. Collaboration is needed to ensure there are mechanisms in place
to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, hold perpetrators accountable, and
provide education on human rights.
Initial needs assessments are key to getting the response right. However, the best
way to get insightful monitoring as situations change is to train both female and male
beneficiaries as monitors, and facilitate their equal voice and compensation.

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(3) Outcomes Avoid outcome statements that focus on ‘IDPs,’ ‘households,’ ‘camp populations,’ –
terms that hide whether male and females benefit equally. Outcomes should capture
the changes experienced by the men and women who are the identified beneficiaries,
as well as any change in relations between them. Outcome statements should,
wherever possible, be worded so any difference in outcomes for males and females
or in male-female relations is visible. This will ensure monitoring and accountability
for project impacts on women as well as men.
Examples of gender outcomes: (the importance of the words in italics is explained)
• Vandalism and damage to collective shelters is low, compared to earlier
in-country emergencies, due to women and men having input into shelter design
and shelter monitoring.
Signals that male-female partnership matters: people will take more pride of
ownership and care, even in a collective shelter, if males and females have a
meaningful role in design and operation.
• Decision-making and responsibilities related to shelter are being shared more
equally by beneficiary women and men.
May reflect (1) more communication or more respectful,l harmonious relations
between men and women, and (2) reduced gender imbalance in decision-making or
work-sharing related to shelter.
• Safety of shelter facilities has been enhanced after camp management responded
to M/F protection requests (e.g. partitions, lighting and closer water distribution
sites).
Recognizes that women/girls and men/boys know what is needed to make their
shelter safe.
• There has been a decrease in gender-based violence (# incidents against women,
girls, boys and men) in tent communities due to hourly male-female night patrols.
Recognizes that respected men and respected women both have authority and
influence on reducing bad behaviour. Although women and girls are often the primary
targets of sexual and other forms of gender-based violence, boys and men are also
victims. Separate data by sex and age allows focused response.
• IDP satisfaction with shelter programming has increased since a women-managed
fund was created for shelter improvements.
Respects women’s leadership and knowledge of household management and
maintenance that is relevant to women’s or communal family shelters.
• Surveys document increase female participation in camp activities (e.g. women in
committees and public meetings / girls in school and youth clubs) due, in part, to
(1) regular distribution of hygiene kits to females of reproductive age and, (2)
schools, meetings, and activity venues being considered safe and accessible.
Recognizes that without sanitary protection women and girls are embarrassed to
participate in activities out of the home. Meeting places (open-air, tents or buildings)
must create a secure and comfortable environment for all beneficiaries: poor
representation of a particular group is often linked to fears they will not be safe at, or
on the way to and from the activity venue.
• NGO capacity for shelter response and preparedness has been enhanced by
having both women and men on their implementing teams (%M/F).
Indicates whether or not NGOs are succeeding in building this competency in both
women and men, as well as their progress toward a gender balance in trainees.

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 Shelter Projects – Gender Mainstreaming & Targeted Actions
Most projects in the Shelter sector should fully mainstream gender. In summary, this requires:
• A robust needs assessment that explores relevant gender issues;
• A number of the project’s activities that address the different needs and realities of male and female
project beneficiaries;
• A number of outcomes that capture the different changes for men compared to women or boys
compared to girls (gender changes) generated by the project AND/OR changes in male-female
relations.
Targeted Actions to Address Inequality
At times there may also be a need to develop a program that targets and benefits only ONE group of
beneficiaries. This type of project does not try to address the different needs of women, girls, boys and
men (“mainstreaming” gender issues). Rather it tries to address and resolve gender inequalities by
focusing on a particular group that is experiencing discrimination, or for other reasons requires targeted
action.
Example – Bringing women into the shelter sector
The needs analysis identified that evacuation centers had high populations of women and low numbers of
men; poverty levels were high but few income opportunities existed for women; there was a shortage of
skilled and unskilled shelter construction workers; and some women were interested in being trained and
working in construction. Activities included construction skills training for 60 women; formation,
mentoring and site supervision of all-female shelter construction crews; providing tools, equipment and
supplies evacuation centers.
Outcomes of these activities all respond to the practical and strategic2 needs of these disadvantaged
women. The project advances gender equality by helping members of the disadvantaged sex, which in this
case are women. Potential outcomes are that,
• The local construction sector is better able to respond to shelter demands due to the creation of
trained, motivated female construction crews;
• The shelter needs of X IDPs (% M/F) are being addressed with construction of 10 standard-quality
emergency shelters built by female beneficiaries;
• Surveys show that the female crews are regarded as positive role models in local communities.
Addressing Gender-based Violence
All sectors need to consider violence, particularly violence against women, and identify ways their
activities can mitigate and prevent it.
Example – Development of a gender-responsive shelter model
The project will develop a model of affordable, user-friendly emergency shelter appropriate for women,
men, girls and boys, frequently and repeatedly displaced by seasonal cyclones. The needs assessment
leading to this project showed a long history of different types emergency shelter and evacuation
responses to a regular and predictable danger. Evaluations showed that previous shelter responses
and/or evacuation centre experiences that did not address the different needs and expectations of males
and females, contributed to high levels of tension, violence, wife beating and child abuse. The core of the
project is people friendly shelter which meets the needs of women, girls, boys and men. Activities include
research, consultation, development and piloting. Each activity is designed to have equal numbers of male
and female participants involved (both as beneficiaries and technical experts), and each activity starts by
examining the different roles and perceptions of women/girls/boys/men (“gender analysis”). Sex-
disaggregated data and gender issues will be documented throughout the development and piloting of the
shelter model. All activities and outcomes are designed to create emergency shelter that is equally
satisfactory for males and females. The project will reduce the gender-based violence that is worsened by
poorly designed shelter. All activities and outcomes will contribute to gender equality.
2
See section on “practical and strategic needs”, in IASC Gender Handbook in Humanitarian Action: Women, Girls, Boys and Men –
Different Needs/Equal Opportunities, p.3.