Emergencies affect women and girls differently from men and boys. In situations of armed conflicts, civil strife, or natural disasters, women often lose the capacity to sustain their families' livelihoods due to loss of seeds, livestock and tools. In addition, conflict situations considerably increase the trauma of gender-specific physical insecurity for women and girls.
Women are often more vulnerable in emergencies due to their lower social and economic status.
A gender analysis helps to clarify what the specific needs, vulnerabilities and coping strategies of women and men are so that they can be more adequately addressed in response to an emergency situation. Women are at the center of FAO's efforts to improve household food security. FAO's Service for Special Relief Operations is dedicated to integrating a gender perspective into all aspects of the Organization's response to emergencies. Ensuring that a gender perspective is integrated is reflected by the CAP's Women in War theme.