Leading the way: Women-led localisation in Central Sulawesi: Towards gender transformative action

Building on the extensive work of ActionAid and others, this research evidences, and advocates for, an approach to localisation which prioritises the leadership of local women and women-led organisations who have been overlooked, undervalued and under resourced in humanitarian response to date.

Executive summary

Ambitious plans to reform the humanitarian sector are still failing to meaningfully shift power and resources to local women and women-led organisations within humanitarian preparedness, response and recovery efforts. 

Despite commitments to localise humanitarian action, humanitarian actors, including donors, INGOs and United Nations agencies, continue to work in ways, which create financial, regulatory and cultural barriers that uphold exclusive patriarchal norms.

These act to obstruct constructive and productive engagement, prevent fair representation and bottom up accountability and also stifle opportunities for innovation, learning and transformation across the humanitarian system, not least for women and girls.