Multi-stakeholder Pledge: Avec Elles - Strengthening protection and inclusion of refugee women and girls through all phases of displacement

Multi-stakeholder pledges - Gender

Multi-stakeholder Pledge: Avec Elles - Strengthening protection and inclusion of refugee women and girls through all phases of displacement

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Key outcomes

The objective of this pledge is to bring together a coalition of various actors (States, international organizations, private sector, civil society, cities, refugee-led organizations, etc.), on a voluntary basis, willing to take concrete action to provide refugee women and girls and host communities with better tools to address protection and inclusion challenges through all phases of displacement.

Background

More than 55 million women and girls worldwide are refugees, displaced or stateless. Refugee women and girls have specific needs and are confronted with higher factors of vulnerability during their exile. They face increased protection risks (sexual and gender-based violence and human trafficking, school dropout, lack of access to sexual and reproductive health). They also face additional difficulties in terms of professional integration, leading to social isolation or informal and low-paid jobs in host countries.

Easing the pressure on host communities while strengthening the autonomy of refugee women and girls directly contributes to the objectives of the Global compact for refugees (2018). Protection and inclusion are key to empower refugee women and girls. They need improved access to basic goods and services, such as education, employment, housing, health care and services, sports, etc. to be better integrated into their host countries. Refugee women and girls, but also host countries and communities, must receive support to help overcome barriers to their integration whilst contributing to their empowerment in host countries.

Pledge description

The objective of this pledge is to bring together a coalition of various actors (States, international organizations, private sector, civil society, cities, refugee-led organizations, etc.), on a voluntary basis, willing to take concrete action to provide refugee women and girls and host communities with better tools to address protection and inclusion challenges through all phases of displacement.

The pledge revolves around four pillars under which members of the coalition are invited to take one or several concrete commitments:

  • Promoting women’s economic and social empowerment and addressing structural barriers to their inclusion is necessary to reduce vulnerabilities (pillar 1).
  • Host countries which welcome the majority of refugees, including women and girls, need to receive more support, in line with the principle of responsibility sharing (pillar 2).
  • Stepping up our action for the empowerment of women refugees is essential to reduce vulnerability factors as well as to promote sustainability and resilience for them and their host communities in the long term (pillar 3).
  • At the same time, we must ensure that refugee women and girls are safe and protected along the way (pillar 4).

Examples of voluntary commitments and indicators

The following list of examples is non exhaustive, and all voluntary commitments will be considered with appreciation:

  1. Inclusion - accelerating the inclusion of refugee women and girls (education; training; housing, health including mental health and SRHR, access to sports, etc.):
    • Education: developing and/or financing education and protection centers for refugee girls in host countries, supporting education programs, etc.
    • Training: creating and/or financing regional vocational and language training centers for refugee women, which could also benefit host communities in third countries.
    • Sport: providing training opportunities for refugee female athletes (infrastructures, grants).
    • Socio-economic inclusion: accelerating the inclusion through job opportunities, housing, etc.
  2. Solidarity - expending access to solutions in third countries hosting large numbers of displaced persons and refugees:
    • Access: developing opportunities for access to complementary pathways in host countries, in favour of vulnerable women and girl (humanitarian corridors, university corridors, etc.).
    • Resettlement: taking commitments to resettlement and other complementary access routes specifically targeting women.
  3. Resilience - providing women refugees with sustainable jobs opportunities in host communities, with a focus on resilience to climate change:
    • Financing: developing carbon credit donations / debt swaps to finance projects orienting women refugee towards ecologically sustainable employment.
    • Vocational training: supporting vocational training projects for women refugee in green trades, including food production, processing and distribution, in conjunction with local players and host communities, and including training modules in access to financing and business development.
  4. Protection - stepping up support for refugee women and girls exposed to violence during their exile and in host countries:
    • Protection: financing specific projects to protect women and girls refugees and displaced persons from sexual and gender-based violence.
    • Care: developing facilities offering multidisciplinary care for women and girls victims of violence and abuses, including sexual and gender-based violence.

Leadership

  • Government of France

Supported by UNHCR.

Contact details

Contributions towards this multi-stakeholder pledge