Humanitarians face a multitude of safety and security risks while on deployment, but women can face specific challenges — from leading teams in male-dominated environments to dealing with menstruation in remote areas without proper provision to the threat of sexual violence.
Sarah Robinson, who spent nearly five years working for MedAir, including as a project coordinator in South Sudan, and Maria Ferrante, a protection officer at the UN Refugee Agency, describe what life in the field is like and offer advice for overcoming everyday challenges.
The conditions are far from comfortable but it’s fulfilling work, Robinson said, who led a team of 45 that traveled around South Sudan working on health, nutrition, water and sanitation, and emergency shelter. They often had just a few days to respond to an alert before they were on the ground so, while they did all they could to assess the situation, at times it could be a “bit of a black hole.” It’s vital, therefore, to have strong relationships with local organizations and be able to collaborate with them, she said.