Together with Refugees International, we have just released a new report entitled, “At What Cost?: Women-Led Organizations, Funding Cuts, and the Price of Survival.”
At a time when the need for humanitarian assistance is at a record high, the global humanitarian system is confronting massive funding cuts.
We wanted to understand how women-led organizations (WLOs), which play an essential role in reaching and supporting women and girls in crisis settings, are coping with these cuts.
Working with local researchers, we interviewed representatives of 28 WLOs in six humanitarian contexts around the world: Afghanistan, Bangladesh (Cox’s Bazar), Honduras, Lebanon, Sudan, and Ukraine.
One leader of a WLO in Afghanistan told us:
“As midwives and healthcare workers, we are one of the very few professional groups of women in Afghanistan who are still permitted to work, but the US funding cut took away that opportunity from many of us as well.”
- Our research uncovered three overarching themes:
The current funding crisis is exposing longstanding vulnerabilities in the humanitarian system. - WLOs are being forced to adopt increasingly unsustainable, short-term survival strategies that undermine capacity, well-being, and impact.
- These adaptations come at a significant cost, ultimately reducing WLOs’ ability to adequately address the needs and rights of women and girls.
We are using the research and recommendations in the report to advocate with humanitarian actors, donor governments, and UN agencies for improved funding for WLOs, increased support for their inclusion in humanitarian coordination, and strengthened programs and services for women and girls.
Thank you, as always, for supporting our work to amplify the voices and meet the needs of displaced women and girls.