Joint Recommendations Relating to Women and Girls on the Third Draft of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR)

Ahead of Consultation 5 from June 12-13, 2018 in Geneva, CARE International, Plan International, Refugees International, the UNSW Forced Migration Network and the Women’s Refugee Commission make the following suggestions to the third draft of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) related to women and girls.

We appreciate and welcome the extensive efforts UNHCR has made to reflect age, gender and diversity considerations throughout the Programme of Action and appreciate the word limitations that have precipitated some difficult decisions and compromises. We do remain concerned however over a few sections where language consolidations or difficult decisions have made the draft weaker than previous versions or where there still remains an obvious gap in urgently needed services for refugee women and girls. We believe the GCR can be further strengthened to ensure their protection and meaningful participation in humanitarian action.

For more information, please also see general recommendations on women and girls made in a joint policy brief in October 2017 endorsed by over 30 organizations, available here: Making the Global Compact Work for All Refugee Women and Girls.