Solidarity Response Needed: WGNRR Members in Pakistan Draw Attention to the Urgency of their Situation

 The young women and adolescent girls have little access to nutritious food. This program is focusing on these specific issues of young women. This program will supplement the ongoing support programs by UN agencies and other Support Programs in the area.

WGNRR Member, AWARE GIRLS has membership from the flood affected areas in Pakistan. The Flood affected communities are struggling for their survival and for livelihood rights. Diarrhea and other water related diseases are very common, the water has become contaminated, barriers to access safe sanitation are exacerbated and nutritious food is in shortage. In such circumstances in the patriarchal societies adolescent girls do not get proper attention to fulfill their specific needs, they are ignored by the humanitarian support programs and even local philanthropists as their needs are not taken as an important issue. AWARE GIRLS members have asked the organization to work for addressing the specific needs of the young and adolescents women.  In gender neutral relief, rehabilitation efforts the specific needs of adolescent girls are ignored. The young women have little access to the relief and support provided by the Relief organizations because of patriarchal culture. According to AWARE GIRLS, there is an urgent need to move from gender blindness to gender sensitivity in helping the victims of this disaster. it is imperative to ensure that a gender perspective is included in the disaster management programs so that the relief efforts are able to properly address young women’s needs, including:

  • Fulfilling women specific requirements, such as sanitary pads /towels and clean white cloth and underwear,
  • Providing Contraceptives, blankets and clothes,
  • Toiletries: toilet rolls, soaps, shampoo, Towels,
  • Nutritional supplements (multi vitamins, iron etc)
  • Clean drinking water
  • Ware cleaning tablets

AWARE GIRLS has developed a kit fulfilling these specific needs of young women (one kit costs 30 USD) and intends to  generate sufficient resources to approach 5,000 young women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province and fulfil their needs.

For more information, please check out their website here

You can also support the relief effort by donating or expressing solidarity with another WGNRR member, Shirkat Gah - Women's Resource Centre, and can read about their position and concerns here.