Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Humanitarian contexts affect women and children more heavily. Evidence tells us that they are time and again disproportionately affected by conflict and natural disasters, exacerbating pre-existing gender norms and inequalities. Humanitarian crises disrupt family and social networks, change the roles played by different genders and break down protection structures.

Existing inequalities for women and girls risk being further exacerbated during and after a crisis. The widest gender gaps exist in countries where there is a humanitarian appeal. An alarming 70 percent of women experience gender-based violence (GBV) in humanitarian contexts compared to 25 percent worldwide. Adolescent girls in conflict zones are 90 percent more likely to be out of school than girls in non-conflict settings. Sixty percent of preventable maternal mortality takes place in settings of conflict, displacement and natural disasters.

Covid-19 exacerbated domestic violence and also brought about an additional 13 million cases of child marriage.

In today’s armed conflicts, there is often no longer a clearly demarcated battlefield - attacks on schools and hospitals are on the rise. Conflicts in urban areas, with women and children in the frontline. The consequences of these brutal trends are devastating. More women and children are going hungry, are falling victim to preventable diseases and are trapped on the front-line without access to humanitarian aid. In many contexts children are often at risk of recruitment by armed groups.

The harm that is done to children in armed conflict is not only often more severe than that done to adults, it has longer lasting implications – for children themselves and for their societies.

Ireland is committed to ensuring that the needs and capacities of women and children are at the heart of global humanitarian action. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is driving improvements in the collection and analysis of sex and age disaggregated data – enabling the humanitarian system to target those most in need, including women and children. Gender was a priority for Ireland during our period as chair of the OCHA donor support group in 2018-19, and also as donor chair of the ICRC donor support group in 2019-20.

The humanitarian community has responded by putting the needs of women and children at the centre of humanitarian action, part of their focus on the most vulnerable groups. This includes the provision of safe spaces for children, child protection services, emergency education and health care services, and income generating opportunities. Humanitarian actors also provide legal aid, GBV services and psychological support to vulnerable groups, including women and children.

In recognition of the specific needs of women and girls, there are several humanitarian agencies with specific expertise in this area. These include UN agencies such as UNHCR, UNICEF and UNFPA as well as many NGOs. Ireland is a strong supporter of these agencies, and provides flexible, annual funding. In our recent response to the Ukraine crisis Ireland provided additional funding of €1 million to UNICEF, €1.5 million to UNFPA and €5 million to UNHCR. Ireland also provides annual funding of €1.8 million to the International Rescue Committee, an NGO with specific expertise in the prevention and response to GBV.