We are a coalition of women and feminist organizations from diverse backgrounds working in communities in Haiti and within the international arena. As organizations committed to partnering with Haitian women to ensure their effective participation in rebuilding Haiti, we call upon donor governments to declare and adhere to internationally recognized standards of women’s human rights in forthcoming relief and reconstruction investments. Such a human-rights based approach is mandated by international law and crucial to rebuilding Haiti on a more sustainable, equitable and disaster-resilient foundation.
In recent weeks, Haitian government officials and global stakeholders representatives have worked to draft a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) to serve as a blueprint for Haiti’s reconstruction. Although the PDNA is comprised of eight themes: governance, productive sectors, social sectors, infrastructure sectors, territorial development, environment and disaster risk reduction, economic analysis and cross-cutting sector (including gender, youth, culture, social protection, etc), only one theme (cross-cutting sector) peripherally addresses gender.
Women’s full participation and leadership in all phases of the reconstruction of Haiti (as mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and other internationally recognized standards) requires that a gender perspective be integrated into ongoing discussions and planning. The majority of Haitian women are members of grassroots communities whose voices and perspectives are equally critical to integrate into all aspects of the new National Action Plan for Haiti.
Women in Haiti are disproportionately impacted by the earthquake, both because they face gender discrimination, exposing them to higher rates of poverty and violence; and because they are responsible for meeting the needs of the most vulnerable, including infants, children, the elderly and the thousands of newly disabled people. Because disasters amplify existing social inequalities, a gender perspective is needed to avoid recovery policies that inadvertently reproduce discrimination against women. We respectfully remind donor governments of their obligation to ensure that policies are non-discriminatory in outcome as well as intent.
To overcome discrimination and to fulfill their roles as primary care-givers, Haitian women require and are legally entitled to a policy architecture that upholds the full range of their human rights, including social and economic rights. Women’s leadership and care-giving work should be recognized and supported by policy and program mandates and transparent resource commitments that enable women to play meaningful, sustained and formal roles in all stages of the relief and recovery process.
We applaud the actions of donor States to assist the people of Haiti in this time of crisis, and present the following principles to help guide governments, international organizations, and other stakeholders in providing for the protection and promotion of women’s human rights in the reconstruction plan for Haiti.
We respectfully remind donors that the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement call on governments to consult with Haitian women and ensure their participation in decisions that impact their lives. Effective consultations enable participants to actually influence outcomes and are anchored in formal partnerships with Haitian women’s groups (particularly local grassroots groups), who are empowered and resourced to take public leadership roles in the process of reconstruction.
The Donors' Conference must ensure Haitian women’s effective participation and leadership in all stages of the Action Plan for National Recovery and Development of Haiti by implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement:
Participation
Haitian women are disproportionately impacted by the crisis as well as key to their country’s recovery. Therefore a large and diverse number of Haitian women’s organizations must be consulted and included in needs and damage assessments, and in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all aid and reconstruction programs. Financing of women’s community-based organizations is essential to ensuring that women’s rights are upheld in forthcoming policies and that displaced women are recognized as a key stakeholder group.
Non-discrimination
Given that temporary and impermanent settlements and housing arrangements are likely to persist for some time, measures to protect women from sexual violence must be implemented in all areas of Haiti, especially the capital where security concerns are high. These include: safe access to storm-resistant temporary shelters, adequate street lighting and safe spaces where women can organize around basic needs. As temporary and permanent housing plans and entitlement policies are finalized, the protection of women’s land and housing rights—through enforceable tenure security must be explicit. Reproductive health services must be guaranteed and accessible.
Capacity Development
Provide resources and facilitate technical assistance for women’s organizations to rebuild and enhance their capacity. Such programs should meet needs identified by women’s organizations themselves and be implemented by grassroots and other women’s groups when feasible. Economic recovery programs must be geared towards women who work in the informal sector and who are single heads of households, offering them a full range of training, credit and business support services.
Transparency and Accountability
Reform aid mechanisms, consistent with Haitian sovereignty, to strengthen democratic governance and build the national economy to reflect the rights and priorities of Haiti’s poor majority.
We call upon donor governments to affirm the principles outlined in this statement in the planning for Haiti’s national relief and reconstruction throughout the PDNA process and beyond.
Signatories include:
ActALIVE Coalition (Rhode Island, USA and Global)
All My Sisters
AMARC WIN
Amnesty International
Amnesty International Toronto LGBT Group
Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development
Asociación de Mujeres de León Clara Campoamor
Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID)
Association of World Citizens, Office to the United Nations
Associazione Iroko Onlus
Best Practices Policy Project
Business Initiatives for Rural Development - Cameroon (BIRD - CA)
Campaña Muevete por la Igualdad
CBCS Ranaw
Center for Community, Health, Education and Research, Dorchester
Center for Constitutional Rights
Center for Human Rights and Global Justice, NYU School of Law
Center for Women's Global Leadership
Centre Medico Social de Port-au-Prince
Circle of Health International
Coalition of Labor Union Women
Comité de América Latina y el Caribe para la Defensa de los Derechos de la Mujer (CLADEM)
CONGDE
Demokrat Women
Deutscher Frauenring/International Alliance of Women
Diaspora Community Services
Digital Democracy
DWA FANM
Elephant Circle
Equality Now
FAMAB
Feminist Peace Network
FIMI/IIWF - International Indigenous Women's Forum
Fondation Espoir, Haiti
Forum Periodistas del Mediterráneo
Foundation for Women, Law and Rural Development (FORWARD)
Foundation Hope for Haiti, USA
Gender Action
Gender and Disaster Network
GéneroUrban
GIMTRAP
Global Fund for Women
GREFELS (Sénégal)
Groots International
HOPEH Inc.
Huairou Commission
INCIDE Social AC
Indigenous Information Network
International Alliance of Women
International Women's Rights Action Watch
Integral Circle Practices
Ironbound Community Corporation
Isis International
Isis Women's International Cross Cultural Exchange (Uganda)
Kenya AIDS Intervention/Prevention Project Group (KAIPPG, Mumias, Kenya)
Kenya AIDS Intervention/Prevention Project Group (KAIPPG International, Rhode Island, USA)
K'INAL ANTSETIK A.C. (Chiapas, Mexico)
KOFAVIV
Konbit Kreyol Productions
La Ciudad de las Diosas
Lambi Fund of Haiti
LIMPAL
MADRE
Mothers against Slavery in America
Movimiento Amplio de Mujeres
Movimiento Manuela Ramos
MUIXIL
Network of Indigenous Women and Biodiversity / Red de Mujeres Indigenas y Biodiversidad
Observatorio de Genero y Equidad
Observatoire sur le développement régional et l'analyse différenciée selon les sexes (ORÉGAND, Québec, Canada)
OFAT - Haiti
Phoenix Women Take Back the Night
Poor People's Alliance
Poto Mitan: Rebuilding Haiti Initiative
Race-Talk.org
Radio Internacional Feminista (RIF/FIRE)
Red Mujer y Habitat
Red de Educación Popular entre Mujeres de América Latina (REPEM)
Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights
Sawa
Sisterhood is Global Institute (SIGI)
Soroptimist International of Europe
Soroptimist International of the Americas
Tasaru Ntomok Initiative
Tet Kole Women's Association
The Temple of Yehwe
Ti Malis
Village Hall Family Circle, Inc
Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML) - Africa & Middle East
Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML) - International Solidarity Network
Women's Centre, Mumbai
Women's Foundation for Agriculture, Environment, Health, and Housing
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
Women's Justice Center
Women's Link Worldwide
Women's Refugee Commission
Women's UN Report Network (WUNRN)
World Pulse
World YWCA
YWCA Haiti
Zakher Association for Developing Palestinian Women Capacities
ZANTRAY
Zonta International
.g+dsr
Related page: Ensuring Haitian Women’s Participation and Leadership in All Stages of National Relief and Reconstruction. A Gender Shadow Report of the 2010 Haiti PDNA, Haiti Equality Collective, 03.31.2010
