Report

Afghanistan Gender and Shelter review

Published 15. May 2017
Afghanistan Gender Shelter and settlements
In order to improve current and future shelter response, NRC undertook a gender review of its transitional shelter response to a rapid influx of undocumented returnees from Pakistan into Eastern Afghanistan.

Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) erected more than 1,100 transitional shelters over three months to support the most vulnerable families.

Women spend much more time than men inside transitional shelters. But construction programing is often done by men for men.   

We do not own land, therefore, the men negotiated a contract for the land stating that we can live there one year. We do not know what will happen. Maybe we have to move into the open area again. I talk to my husband about this. He also worries, but I worry more. Having a house is more important for me as I am on the inside and he is on the outside. 
                                             - Afghan woman. 

The most important overall concern relates to ability of access to safe bedrooms and sanitation facilities for the women’s side. The review found that none of the male respondents acknowledged any site as unsafe for women and girls, highlighting that significant protection risks may be masked by the usual male-male interactions as part of emergency needs assessments.