All around the world, we see the bravery of women

This International Women’s Day we acknowledge women around the world who are bravely navigating crisis, conflict, and disaster.

Women like Aish, in Nigeria, who was able to use Nigerian Red Cross cash grants to start a business and support her family.

Women like Yulia from Ukraine, who during the terror of war, bravely led her seven children to a shelter where Red Cross teams were there to help.

Women like Mahfuza from Myanmar, who is now living in a refugee camp after being displaced by violence and conflict.

At Australian Red Cross we celebrate women and their strength, but also acknowledge the particular challenges and barriers they face during humanitarian crises. That is why we are committed to ensuring the needs of women are central to our humanitarian work, always.

For women like Aish, Yulia and Elif - who are entrusted with the care of children and elderly relatives; nurturing, protecting, and advocating for others and leading their communities – there are specific risks and challenges which arise during conflict and disasters.

Inclusion in action

The risk of exclusion increases drastically for women with disabilities, women from the LGBTQIA+ community, women from ethnic minorities and elderly women and girls. Transgender women, people of different genders or nonbinary people may also face particular risk of exclusion from humanitarian support.

For women in these communities, being left out or forgotten in times of crisis might look like:

• Not having access to emergency shelters because of physical barriers such as a lack of ramps at evacuation centres
• Not receiving essential emergency warnings because they are not given in minority languages
• Widows being excluded from accessing payments or housing support if property is held in their deceased husband's name
• Being discriminated against at health facilities because of biases on the part of health workers
• Experiencing unlawful arrest or detention, early or forced marriage and separation from family.

At Australian Red Cross we are committed to humanitarian responses which are accessible and dignified for all people – including every woman who needs our support. In practice, this looks like: