Women are more likely to live in poorer households globally than men. Countries where this is evident are predominantly fragile or conflict-affected. In order to meet the Sustainable Development Goals and ensure no one is left behind, women’s economic empowerment must be prioritised and resourced in crisis contexts. Choices, Chances and Safety in Crisis discusses the impact of crisis on women’s economic empowerment and the limitations of recent responses. It proposes a practical model for increasing women’s safety as well as their use and control of resources in crisis contexts. It outlines the preconditions that must be met to genuinely transform harmful gender norms and empower women economically along with examples from IRC’s work. It concludes with recommendations for governments, international actors and the humanitarian sector.

This report explores how  displaced  women  themselves  define  economic empowerment  and  its  benefits,  and  their  perception  of  the  challenges  that  they  face in participating in the labour market, based on qualitative research in Niger, Germany and Kenya.

Tahini works as a midwife for the IRC, providing a vital support for women in Yemen.

This policy brief provides an overview of the entrenched gender inequalities and vulnerabilities which affected women and girls before the war and which have been exacerbated over the past 4 years.

This briefing assesses the impact of the law on refugee women’s right to work and access economic opportunities in high refugee hosting countries.

“The first thing I do when I get up in the morning is look at the mirror in my bedroom and say, 'let's go hero, your day has started.'”

Karima Sultani has been an activist for women’s rights in Afghanistan since 2010. She now works as a counsellor for the International Rescue Committee, supporting women who are experiencing violence.

This report highlights some of the links between GBV and key SDGs to show where GBV prevention and response needs to be integrated across sectors to address the double disadvantage faced by women and girls in crisis.

Four years of conflict in Yemen has led to the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, and women and girls have been affected disproportionally.