SDDirect recognises the distinct and disproportionate impact crises have on women and girls. The breakdown of the rule of law, the circulation and availability of small arms, and the breakdown of family structures all contribute to exacerbated human rights abuses against women in these settings. These abuses include - but are not limited to - increased sexual violence by armed groups, intimate partner violence, human trafficking, and forced marriage. These risks are exacerbated for women and girls with disabilities, religious or ethnic minorities, and members of the LGBTQI+ community.
At Women, Peace and Security, we take an intersectional approach in all our work, that recognises the diversity of women and girls’ experiences in these contexts.
We are committed to working in some of the most hard-to-reach and volatile contexts to help protect and uphold human rights. We have a wealth of experience supporting bilateral donors, multilateral entities, national governments, and civil society organisations to ensure humanitarian aid is designed and delivered inclusively and equitably. We recognise that strengthening gender equality and social inclusion is critical to achieving peace and stability, and to achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
We pride ourselves in and designing, delivering, monitoring, and evaluating interventions that help facilitate women and other marginalised groups’ participation and leadership in humanitarian response, stabilisation, early recovery, peacebuilding, and state-building efforts. We also have extensive experience working in conflict-prone environments to build accountable governance
Our expertise in this area includes:
If you would like to hear more about our work on Women, Peace and Security, please reach out to Emma Haegeman, Head of Governance and Inclusive Societies Portfolio, at EmmaHaegeman@sddirect.org.uk.
SDDirect was contracted by the Danish Government to produce a Guidance Note to support the rollout and implementation of their new National Action Plan (2021-2025) to advance United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 and the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. The guidance covers:
Preventing and responding to gender-based violence (GBV)
As public interest in women’s leadership in response to COVID-19 grows, Noha Yehya of the Yemeni Women Union (YWU), and Michelle Spearing and Laura Martineau-Searle of SDDirect reflect on the roles of women in the COVID-19 response and draw lessons from Yemen to highlight the importance of women’s leadership at the grassroots in respond
Yemeni women have been fundamental to peacebuilding efforts in Yemen, yet barriers to their inclusion remains. Naomi Clugston and Michelle Spearing detail some of these barriers based on recent research findings and propose recommendations that would lead to better engagement with and inclusion of Yemeni women and youth.
The United Kingdom is one of the 25 countries deemed least vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the face of rising death tolls, a stretched National H
This learning brief focuses on the links between gender-based violence and climate change. It explains how climate change can contribute to humanitarian emergencies around the world, and how Gender-Based Violence (GBV) risks are exacerbated by different climate hazards.
Guidance note to help support knowledge and understanding of how GBV survivors can access justice in humanitarian and emergency settings, and discuss programming strategies for GBV specialists.
Providing a brief overview of research, evidence and learning on the links between food insecurity and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in fragile and conflict-affected settings (FCAS).
