WUNRN

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Women’s Refugee Commission

http://womensrefugeecommission.org/resources/document/1078-i-m-here-report-final-pdf

I'm Here: Adolescent Girls in Emergencies Report

I'm Here: Adolescent Girls in Emergencies Report thumbnail


Abstract

I’m Here: Adolescent Girls in Emergencies is a resource for emergency response staff. It outlines an operational approach and recommendations that can help humanitarian sectors be more accountable to adolescent girls from the start of an emergency.


Full Report

The report structure allows readers to read the full narrative or, via hyperlinks, to access summary briefs and specific sub-sections. Each chapter begins with a summary of key findings and messages. Annexes contain supplementary material and tools.

Download Full Report

Executive Summary

A recap of key findings and an outline of the I'm Here Approach, the Girl Roster and eGAIM. It also outlines sector-specific mainstreaming considerations.

Download Executive Summary

Field-tested Tools

Actionable program implications discovered through field-tests of the I’m Here Approach and rapid response tools in South Sudan.

Download Results from South Sudan Field Test

Description

When humanitarian system responds to a crisis, the “starting line” is not the same for everyone affected by the disaster. Yet a pervasive belief exists within the humanitarian community that the days immediately after an emergency are not a reasonable time for nuanced delivery of lifesaving information and services. Emergency responses are, by default, somewhat generic.

Adolescent girls—who account for an increasing proportion of displaced persons—are at a comparative disadvantage before, during and after crises. The risks in these contexts—rape, abuse, early marriage and abduction—are greater for adolescent girls compared to other population groups. When humanitarian actors do not collectively account for adolescent girls, then humanitarian sectors can constrict girls’ abilities to safely access life-saving information, services and resources.

Proactive action is not solely about reducing adolescent girls’ vulnerabilities and mitigating their risks, but also about ensuring that relief operations link girls to resources and harness their capacity to support aid delivery and recovery efforts.

This reports' key rationale, findings and recommendations are based on a literature scan, expert interviews, and a field assessment and pilot testing of mobile-based tools in South Sudan. 

Key Findings Include:

·         Adolescent girls are rarely consulted in emergency relief operations.

·         Practitioners’ awareness about adolescent girls’ vulnerabilities and needs differs across humanitarian sectors.

·         There is a lack of clarity about which operational decisions having the most impact on girls.

·         Emergency responses do not necessarily account for how girls' routines, roles and assets shape their abilities to safely access vital resources.

·          

I’m Here Approach 

This is an approach to safely link adolescent girls to life-saving information, services and resources from the start of an emergency. Its aim is to advance operational results and to support more responsive and accountable humanitarian action that safely meets adolescent girls’ needs, engages them in emergency response and ensures their rights from the onset of an emergency through recovery.