2.4. GENDER EQUALITY DURING EMERGENCIES The fact that crises impact women and girls both differently and more intensely has been well documented. However, discussions of how to protect their rights during emergencies is often “compartmentalized” – viewed through the lens of general commitments to non-discrimination, addressed within the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda,34 as related to armed conflict, or considered part of gender-sensitive disaster risk reduction policies, plans and programmes referring to natural disasters. In fact, all three approaches overlap and are mutually reinforcing. CEDAW sets forth states’ obligations to promote substantive equality between women and men. The obligations of CEDAW apply during crisis situations and public emergencies in the same was as they do under any other circumstances.35 In fact, emergencies require states to address intersecting forms of discrimination and take measures that are themselves gender-responsive.36 The CEDAW Committee has reiterated this obligation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic; states must ensure that emergency measures do not directly or indirectly discriminate against women or girls.37 States must also enable women to fully and meaningfully participate in political processes concerned with preparing for, responding to and recovering from crises, whether brought about by conflict, natural disasters or other events. CEDAW Committee General Recommendations: • In all crisis situations, whether non-international or international armed conflict, public emergencies, foreign occupation or other situations of concern, such as political strife, women’s rights are guaranteed by an international law regime that consists of complementary protections under [CEDAW] and international humanitarian, refugee and criminal law.38 • The Convention promotes and protects women’s human rights, and this should be understood to apply at all stages of climate change and disaster prevention, mitigation, response, recovery and adaptation.39 34 For the basis for the agenda, see: “UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security” (UNSC 1325), 31 October 2000, <http://unscr.com/en/resolutions/doc/1325>. 35 CEDAW Committee, “General Recommendation No. 30 on Women in Conflict Prevention, Conflict and Post-Conflict Situations”, op. cit., note 20, para. 73c. 36 Ibid.; and CEDAW Committee, “General Recommendation No. 37 on the Gender-Related Dimensions of Disaster Risk Reduction in the Context of Climate Change”, 7 February 2018, CEDAW/C/GC/37, <https://reliefweb.int/report/ world/general-recommendation-no-37-gender-related-dimensions-disaster-risk-reduction-context>. 37 CEDAW Committee, “Guidance Note on CEDAW and COVID-19”, 22 April 2020, <https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=INT/CEDAW/STA/9156&Lang=en.>. 38 CEDAW Committee, “General Recommendation No. 30 on Women in Conflict Prevention, Conflict and Post-Conflict Situations”, op. cit., note 20, para. 19. 39 CEDAW Committee, “General Recommendation No. 37 on the Gender-Related Dimensions of Disaster Risk Reduction in the Context of Climate Change”, 7 February 2018, <https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CEDAW/Shared%20 Documents/1_Global/CEDAW_C_GC_37_8642_E.pdf>. Note that the CEDAW Committee makes clear that the recommendation applies to a range of risks and disasters, as defined in: UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, “Sendai 14