Where are the Women? Gender, Localisation and the Grand Bargain

The World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) in Istanbul in 2016 clearly confirmed that gender equality, the fulfilment of women’s and girls’ human rights and their empowerment in political, humanitarian, and development spheres is a universal responsibility and pivotal to sustaining conflict prevention and resolution, peacebuilding and building resilient communities. Since then, progress towards implementation of effective protection, empowerment and gender equality programming is mixed.

On 26th September 2017, ActionAid Ireland convened a high-level seminar to assess progress and learning on following through on commitments made by donors, UN and civil society agencies to this responsibility and vision at WHS in 2016. The aim of the seminar was to provoke further thinking on ‘Gender and the Grand Bargain’ and bring different perspectives and experiences to the debate on localisation.

This is the first in a series of events on the Grand Bargain organised in collaboration with Dochas, Irish Red Cross, and Trócaire.

You can read download all presentations from the event here: Grand Bargain Series. You can read a full analysis of the event here: Grand Bargain Series_Notes from Seminar 1. And we have provided videos from each section of the event below.

Adriano Campolina

Secretary-General of ActionAid International, Adriano Campolina, who attended the event from South Africa presented on Promoting Localised Women-led Approaches to Humanitarian Responses. Watch his presentation below:

Réiseal Ni Chéilleachair

Réiseal Ni Chéilleachair, Humanitarian Policy Advisor, Trócaire: Localisation in Practice: An Analysis from Myanmar & DRC. Watch her presentation below.

Emer O’Brien

Emer O’Brien from the Humanitarian Unit of Irish Aid provided an interesting input on localisation from the donor’s perspective. Watch her presentation below.

Rachel George

Visiting from the Overseas Development Institute in London, Rachel George presented an academic analysis and interesting contribution on localisation and norms. Watch her presentation below.

Discussion & Q&A

The presentations were followed by a discussion session, feedback on the discussions and a Q&A.

Picture caption: Nadège Pierre, 33, is director of a Kindergarten Cap-Haitien, Haiti and also the secretary general of an organisation of women’s solidarity in the north of Haiti. Photo by ActionAid