UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.
In the context of UN Women’s expanding work in the area of Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action in the West and Central Africa region, cooperation with key humanitarian actors on the ground in Niger will be strengthened, so as to facilitate enhanced gender-responsiveness of humanitarian support activities, and to address protection priorities of displaced women and girls in the Diffa region of Niger.
Niger is facing a multifaceted humanitarian crisis caused by food insecurity, malnutrition, population movements, epidemics and natural disasters. The needs have been particularly acute in Diffa Region, where 213,000 people from Nigeria and the Niger remain displaced after fleeing the insecurity created by Boko Haram. Some 54,000 Malian refugees are still living in the Niger, which is increasing the strain on already weak and insufficient basic services in host communities. Gender based violence has also become rampant with these attacks.
Under the direct supervision of the UN Women Deputy Regional Director, West and Central Africa, the Gender and Humanitarian Specialist will manage UN Women’s project, Gender Responsive Humanitarian Action and Assistance of Women and Girls affected by Boko Haram Terrorism in Diffa – Niger which aims to coordinate the efforts of UN Agencies and other development partners in Diffa in support of the national response against the aggravated vulnerability of women refugees (old and new) and those in host communities, in connection with GBV, HIV/AIDS and their lack of financial and economic autonomy. The project will be implemented in the Diffa region (Niger). At the national level, the project expect the integration of gender issues in humanitarian coordination mechanisms. At the operational level, it plans to focus in meeting the needs of 5,000 internally displaced persons and refugees, host community affected by Boko Haram terrorism generated conflict.
The project will focus on filling critical gender gaps in the ongoing humanitarian response activities in Niger due to the consequences of violent, continuous and unpredictable attacks of Boko Haram in the Diffa region. The project is to provide psychosocial and medical orientation for SGBV/Rape survivors affected by Boko Haram attacks and prevent it at host communities’ level. Moreover, the project is also dedicated to the economic rehabilitation of women in order to combat food insecurity caused by terrorism activity. |