Guidelines for Creating Barrier-Free Emergency Shelters

Purpose

These guidelines provide information and examples to support the design and construction of barrier-free emergency shelters that may be used by all people within a community following a natural disaster, such as a flood or landslide.

Overview

Barrier-free environments need to be designed for all people, including those with visual, hearing, speech, mental and intellectual impairments. The document provides general information to assist with the design of barrier-free environments that will accommodate people with vision impairment, hearing and/or speech impairment, intellectual or mental health impairments; limited mobility, and those who have difficulty using their arms and hands.

The document also provides guidelines on: space considerations; evacuation routes; ramps; steps, handrails, verandas and doorways; toilets; cooking; water pumps; emergency shelter in flood-prone area; and emergency shelter in hill or mountain areas for all people within a community after a natural disaster.

Usage: Guidance for project implementation

Audiences: Technical staff

Reference: Handicap International (February 2009). Guidelines for Creating Barrier-Free Emergency Shelters. European Commission Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid (ECHO). Pp. 1-17. Available from: http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Emergencies_Creating_Barrier_Free_Emergency_Shelters.pdf [Accessed: 18th July 2016].

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Download: http://www.ifrc.org/PageFiles/95749/CreatingBarrierFree2009.pdf

Guidance on Mainstreaming Gender and Diversity in Shelter Programmes

Purpose

This document highlights some practical ways in which gender concerns can be incorporated and articulated in shelter programming.

Overview

Assessments: Data on affected populations should be broken down by age, sex and other relevant factors (for example, people with disabilities, sexual orientation).

Site and settlement planning: Planning staff should have an understanding of gender, diversity and cultural issues.

Shelter design: Basic knowledge on how a shelter is to be used (for example, kitchen and hygiene needs are more likely to be understood by women, given their domestic role and role as primary caregivers in many cultures).

Shelter construction and material supply: When involving women in shelter activities, make sure that it is not negatively impacting their existing workload, domestic responsibilities and childcare.

NFI allocation and distribution: Programmes must be regularly reviewed to ensure that gender needs are being met and necessary changes made as required.

Monitoring and Evaluation: Monitoring and evaluation staff should have an understanding of gender and diversity and how shelter interventions have attempted to address these issues.

Usage: Guidance for project implementation

Audiences: Technical staff; Gender and diversity practitioners

Reference: Global Shelter Cluster (Marc 2010). Guidance on Mainstreaming Gender and Diversity in Shelter Programmes. Pp.1-7. Available from: https://www.sheltercluster.org/sites/default/files/docs/4_3_sc_gender_and_diversity_guidance_final_25_october_2013_1.pdf  [Accessed: 21st September 2016]

 

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Download: https://www.rcrc-resilience-southeastasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/4_3_sc_gender_and_diversity_guidance_final_25_october_2013_1.pdf

Gender and Shelter

Purpose

This briefing paper looks at the importance of gender within Red Cross programmes and services and offers some suggestions about how Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies might better integrate gender into shelter programmes.

Overview

Studies have shown that understanding differing gender needs, roles, cultural norms and capacities can assist planners in designing programmes that are both feasible and targeted toward those most vulnerable, and therefore more likely to improve the lives of the affected populations.

To incorporate gender into the planning and implementation of shelter programmes:

men and women should be consulted during the assessment and planning phase to ensure their privacy and safety needs are met;

programmes need to be designed to ensure equal access to shelter and that women are not fully reliant on men to fulfil their shelter needs;

confidential access to health care facilities must be ensured for women needing support for specific hygiene needs and/or treatment for sexual violence;

the proximity of the shelter to vital resources such as fuel, water, food and sources of livelihood/employment must be considered.

Usage: Guidance for project implementation

Audiences: Technical staff; Gender and diversity practitioners

Reference:  Australian Red Cross (2011). Gender and Shelter. Pp.1-8. Available from: http://www.redcross.org.au/files/2011Gender_and_Shelter.pdf [Accessed: 21st September 2016]

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Download: https://www.rcrc-resilience-southeastasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/2011Gender_and_Shelter.pdf

Gender and Diversity in Emergencies – Quick and Easy Steps for Accountability to Affected People

Purpose

This poster looks at the steps for accountability to affected people in assessments and monitoring; shelter and gender-based violence.

Overview

  • In assessments and monitoring, the steps involve: guaranteeing gender balance in the assessment team; speaking directly with affected women, men, boys and girls (separately if needed) about their needs, and priorities; collecting and recording data broken down by age and sex; analysing data and monitoring implementation; and asking questions – who, what, how and which.
  • In shelter, the steps involve: consulting women, men, boys and girls (including people with disabilities, and the elderly) in shelter design; appointing a gender-balanced evacuation centre or shelter committee; using the assessment approach mentioned above for shelter programming; ensuring that survivors/victims of sexual violence have shelter needs met based on their needs; considering vulnerability in distributions; implementing a mechanism for making confidential complaints; and liaising with protection actors on whether discriminatory land-ownership policies exist.
  • In gender-based violence, the steps involve: recruiting staff and volunteers in a manner that will discourage sexual exploitation and abuse; ensuring that all staff and volunteers are briefed on the code of conduct; linking with protection teams to establish how you will refer survivors/victims of gender based violence to relevant support services; implementing mechanisms for making confidential complaints; ensuring that survivors of gender-based violence have safe access to shelter; ensuring that health services and community based psychological and social support are provided for survivors of sexual violence; and disseminating information about available services for survivors of violence or women/children presently experiencing domestic violence.

Usage: Guidance for project implementation

Themes: Risk assessment, Community-based or community participation, Gender-based violence, Mental health and psychosocial needs, Shelter, Human resources, Accountability to beneficiaries, Gender, Age (elderly), Age (children/youth)

Audiences: Technical staff; Gender and diversity practitioners

Reference: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies & The Vanuatu Red Cross Society. Gender and diversity in emergencies: Quick and easy steps for accountability to affected people.p.1.

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Download: https://www.rcrc-resilience-southeastasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Gender_Diversity-Poster-HR-2.pdf

Minimum standard commitments to gender and diversity in emergency programming by sector

Purpose

This checklist provides a quick tool for assessing compliance with the Minimum Standard Commitments in Emergency Programming for Red Cross / Red Crescent staff and volunteers in: emergency health; food security; water, sanitation and hygiene; emergency shelter; livelihoods; non-food items and disaster risk reduction.  It serves as a tool for organisations to mark progress and identify their next steps.

Overview

The Minimum Standard  Commitments for each sector are based around a framework of: dignity; access; participation; safety; and internal protection systems. The checklist provides specific indicators which an organisation can use to rate its progress (achieved, partially achieved, not achieved and not applicable), justify its score and propose next steps.

Usage: Guidance for project implementation

Audiences: Technical staff

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Download: https://www.rcrc-resilience-southeastasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Gender-Diversity-Minimum-Standards-by-sector_PILOT2015v1-doc.pdf

Minimum Standard Commitments to Gender and Diversity in Emergency Programming – Pilot Version

Purpose

This checklist provides a quick tool for assessing compliance with the Minimum Standard Commitments in Emergency Programming for Red Cross / Red Crescent staff and volunteers in: emergency health; food security; water, sanitation and hygiene; emergency shelter; livelihoods; non-food items and disaster risk reduction.  It serves as a tool for organisations to mark progress and identify their next steps.

Overview

The Minimum Standard  Commitments for each sector are based around a framework of: dignity; access; participation; safety; and internal protection systems. The checklist provides specific indicators which an organisation can use to rate its progress (achieved, partially achieved, not achieved and not applicable), justify its score and propose next steps.

Important Note

This document is the key operational document for IFRC and Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies for gender and diversity. Over the past two years and  through the leadership of Gender and Diversity Focal Points in Southeast Asia, the Minimum Standard Commitments have been tested at national and regional level, through mainstreaming the in VCA processes, integration in NDRT & RDRT capacity building and deployments, emergency response, gender-based violence research, sensitisation on internal protection systems such as the Code of Conduct and Child Protection policy, and linking with Community Engagement and Accountability work in the region.

From these experiences, and experiences globally, it is time to revisit the standards and see where we can improve the guidance to ensure they continue to be practical and relevant! We very much encourage and welcome your comments to this guidance note through this google doc link. The guidance is split into key sectors: Health, Food Security, WASH, Emergency Shelter, Livelihoods, Non-food items and DRR, so please feel free to feedback on the sector you are most familiar with. The deadline for comments is 15th August 2017.

 

Usage: Guidance for project implementation

Audiences: Technical staff

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Download: http://www.ifrc.org/Global/Photos/Secretariat/201505/Gender%20Diversity%20MSCs%20Emergency%20Programming%20HR3.pdf