This study examines and evaluates the gender aspects of the early recovery housing/one- two room shelters provided by humanitarian organizations to replace the destroyed houses of the affected population in two districts (Dadu and Thatta) of Sindh Province. It draws examples from the field in order to understand the experiences of the vulnerable, especially women, in undergoing gendered housing programs and projects. In doing so, this study empirically verifies to what extent gender needs and concerns are taken into account in early recovery shelters by following Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC)1
The shelter projects/programs were selected for gender analysis, because, in most communities, women bear the primary responsibility for household chores, and therefore, the design of the sites and shelters must reflect women’s needs and should be undertaken with them. Results show that neglecting gender aspects can be problematic, if systematic participatory assessment and analyses are not undertaken with all those involved. gender guidelines as the minimum response benchmark.