Girls in Emergencies (GiE) Collaborative

Many adolescent girlsdthe poorest girls in the poorest communitiesdalready live in an “emergency.” Humanitarian crises only amplify the call on their coping and caring capacities, while exacerbating their vulnerabilities. The frequency and intensity of emergencies, including natural disasters, conflicts, and infectious disease outbreaks such as Ebola, appear to be growing.1 These emergencies threaten entire communities and whole countries, often with global implications. Many become virtually permanent. Although news coverage is short-lived, the average length of displacement for refugees is almost 20 years.2,i For too many girls worldwide, an emergency begins as an “event” and transforms into a lifetime.