Outcome UKR_D_1.1

Outcome 1: Support provision of essential and gender-responsive services that are designed in response to expressed needs of communities, both in areas impacted by the conflict and in locations hosting displaced people.

UN Women Ukraine made good progress towards the outcome in 2023. UN Women’s capacity to collaborate on gender equality issues in the UN humanitarian response was improved significantly through UN Women’s transition from an observer to full member of the Humanitarian Country Team in February 2023. The Gender in Humanitarian Action (GiHA) Working Group, co-chaired by UN Women, grew and developed during the reporting year, as a key coordination platform with gender expertise influencing humanitarian efforts. UN Women’s contributions have been instrumental in embedding women’s voices and gender equality within the humanitarian response framework, reshaping existing strategies, creating paths for dialogue with women’s civil society organizations and setting a foundation for future gender-responsive approaches. Key results under this outcome include: More than 45,000 war-affected women and girls accessed humanitarian support. This included food and hygiene products, psychological support, legal aid, emergency cash assistance, evacuation support, medical help and referrals to social services. Specifically, women and girls from vulnerable and marginalized groups such as rural women, Roma women, women with disabilities and internally displaced women accessed this support. Of these women and girls, more than 39,000 accessed support through CSOs operating across the country in all regions, under the umbrella of the Women, Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF). Contributing to this result, 40 local women’s organizations conducted a rapid and localized humanitarian response and developed their capacities to adjust to the rapidly changing context, with UN Women support and resources. Women and girls (especially from vulnerable groups) and their needs and priorities are covered by key humanitarian strategies and action plans. Women’s CSOs and technical gender experts provided key recommendations and input which were incorporated into humanitarian plans and strategies. This includes for example a dedicated chapter in the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) on “Intersectionality, Gender, and Disability” and gender and age disaggregated data and analysis in the 2023 Multi-Sector Needs Assessment. 10 clusters and working groups (on Protection, Child Protection, Education, Food Security and Livelihood, Health, Shelter, Water, Sanitation, Hygiene, Accountability to Affected Population, Age and Disability, and Cash) integrated gender dimensions into their sectors’ work, for example through SADD indicators, analysis and activities. UN Women contributed to this result through the facilitation of dialogues and consultations with women’s organizations, technical gender expertise into the development of key plans and strategies, and capacity development initiatives. For example, humanitarian clusters accessed strategic and practical guidance to mainstreaming gender considerations into humanitarian efforts through sector specific gender-tip sheets developed by UN Women. Women and their organizations meaningfully participated in humanitarian planning and response. In 2023, women strengthened their meaningful participation in the humanitarian response at all levels. Women’s civil society engaged in a significant number of dialogues, consultations and advocacy events which took place in 2023, targeting those in frontline areas where women had the opportunity to advocate for their needs and priorities as well as influence key processes related to humanitarian action. Roma-women-led CSOs in particular strengthened their capacity and accessed opportunities in 2023 to actively speak out about their urgent needs and challenges in 3 dialogues with UN and partners. As a result, 11 Roma Women's organizations became GIHA WG members, and the Roma coordination group led by the Council of Europe Office was established. Civil society partners from across Ukraine and relevant duty bearers from the Government, UN agencies and other humanitarian/development partners facilitated these events in close collaboration with UN Women to ensure that the voices and experiences of women are heard. UN Women also contributed to this result by conducting capacity development initiatives for CSOs on Gender in Humanitarian Action, Humanitarian Ethics and Principles, the Application of IASC Gender Standards, and Result-Based Management. As part of the new SN to be developed in 2024, a new ToC will be developed to better reflect how UN Women will support the needs and priorities of women and girls in Ukraine, across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. If, as anticipated, humanitarian actors prioritize gender mainstreaming into humanitarian processes, then the needs and priorities of women and girls will be well integrated into the humanitarian response, and could, within a few years, start to have a real impact on the lives and security of the estimated 16.6 million women and girls across the country. Plans for continued interventions for gender in humanitarian action should prioritize strategic consultations with local women, especially from vulnerable groups, into planning processes, and strengthening the roles of gender focal points across clusters.