Protection of Women & Children in Humanitarian Response

3 units

It is currently estimated that one out of every 113 people is seeking asylum, internally displaced or a refugee; this is a level of global risk for which there is no known precedent. Conflict, climate change, drought and other natural disasters have resulted in the highest levels of displacement ever recorded, affecting more than 65.3 million people. Conflict and natural disasters destroy communities; wreak havoc on food, sanitation, security and supply chains; and propel survivors into fragile refugee camps and crowded urban areas. Increasingly, humanitarian responders are also asked to promote health systems development in fragile states and post-conflict scenarios. There is a critical need for technically competent public health professionals who understand the global dynamics of acute and complex emergencies, including the continuum from prevention and risk reduction to emergency response and the transition to development. This course explores operational ways of addressing protection concerns for women and children in natural disasters and war. It examines protection from both a reduction of physical risk and a promotion of developmental well-being perspectives. Students will develop a practical understanding of effective interventions for preventing and responding to specific protection concerns, including child-family separations; child recruitment and use as armed combatants; sexual violence and abuse; and psychosocial well-being. Students will explore systemic approaches to promoting a protective environment for women and children in emergencies and post-conflict/reintegration transitions. Students will review strategies for incorporating critical elements of protection into broader humanitarian response operations; coordination among humanitarian agencies; evidence-based programming; community participation; and advocacy and policy change.