MADRE Statements

Forthcoming: Gender Shadow Report on Haiti Post-Disaster Needs Assessment

Posted on: Friday, March 19, 2010

Keywords: Economic Justice, Environmental Justice, Haiti, Latin America and Caribbean, Emergency Relief, Earthquake

In recent weeks, Haitian government officials and global stakeholders representatives have worked to draft a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) to serve as a blueprint for Haiti’s reconstruction. Although the PDNA is comprised of eight themes: governance, productive sectors, social sectors, infrastructure sectors, territorial development, environment and disaster risk reduction, economic analysis and cross-cutting sector (including gender, youth, culture, social protection, etc), only one theme (cross-cutting sector) peripherally addresses gender.

Women’s full participation and leadership in all phases of the reconstruction of Haiti (as mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and other internationally recognized standards) requires that a gender perspective be integrated into ongoing discussions and planning. The majority of Haitian women are members of grassroots communities whose voices and perspectives are equally critical to integrate into all aspects of the new National Action Plan for Haiti.

Therefore, a broad coalition of women from diverse backgrounds working both on the ground in Haiti, in grassroots communities, and within the international arena has resolved to produce a Gender Shadow Report to be released prior to the Haiti Donors’ Conference to be held at United Nations Headquarters on March 31, 2010.

The Report will offer human-rights based policy guidelines to donors, international agencies and other stakeholders and promote the rights and leadership of Haitian women, who are key to rebuilding Haiti on a more sustainable, equitable and disaster-resilient foundation.

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