Where we focus

Women & Girls

Women and girls—particularly in places affected by crisis—face discrimination, violence, and a lack of equal opportunities that threaten their lives and rob them of their potential. But with the right support and investment, they can change their own future and uplift entire communities. They can change the world.

Our goals

The International Rescue Committee is proud to fight for a world where women and girls have an equal chance to succeed.

Women and girls see real improvements to their safety, health, education, economic wellbeing, and their ability to make decisions that affect their lives.
How we get there:
Women's rights are human rights. The IRC is working to break down barriers for women and girls and ensure gender equality is a cornerstone of all of our programs.

See our work in action.
As many women as possible have the ability and power to create real change in their lives and communities.
How we get there:
We will work with women and girls of all ages to help them thrive. And we will rigorously measure the impact of IRC programs and share what we’ve learned with other organizations.

Stand with women and girls.
All people, regardless of their gender, enjoy the same rights and opportunities.
How we get there:
Narrowing the gender gap calls for addressing inequalities within our own organization, both through our hiring practices and how we operate day-to-day.

Read our Gender Action Plan.

Fast facts

As humanitarian need increases overall during the COVID-19 pandemic, the IRC is concerned that more women and girls at risk of gender-based violence are being left behind.

15 million

people in need, mainly women and girls, are missing out on gender-based violence services.

Despite a “shadow pandemic” of violence driven by COVID-19, the IRC found that funding for these services did not grow proportionally alongside need.

< $11

is allocated for each person in need of gender-based violence support services.

A new analysis by the IRC finds that the average funding request for gender-based violence services is only 3% of the total needed.

20 million

girls are at risk of not returning to school because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The IRC is calling on the international community to increase the involvement of local women leaders in developing COVID-19 response plans.

News and features

An animation of an Afghan teenage girl and her reflection. There is a diagonal line across the image with the girl's legs, in yellow and with a blank background, at the top. At the bottom, she is holding a backpack in front of a city skyline.

Afghanistan crisis

Millions of Afghan girls may not go ‘back to school’ this September

The crisis in Afghanistan has shocked the world. The situation for women and girls appears dire, and their access to education is at risk.

Read their stories

Afghan Girls: "Boys Cannot Build the Future Alone"

September 13, 2021

Hear their responses

An Afghan mother sits in a tent with her young boys at a makeshift IDP camp.

Afghanistan crisis

What is happening to women and girls in Afghanistan?

August 27, 2021

Learn more and help

A mother and father in Afghanistan sit on the ground among blankets and pillows, each with a child on their lap. The boy in the front is smiling and his father is looking at him.

Afghanistan crisis

How the IRC helps in Afghanistan

August 23, 2021

Go inside our work

Reports

The International Rescue Committee's Gender Action Plan

Strengthening Connections: Why social cohesion matters for the Rohingya and host Bangladeshi communities

August 31, 2021

See all reports and resources