Integrating Gender Sensitivity into Faith-Based Humanitarianism

In recent decades, gender mainstreaming has become a prevalent practice in<br/>international organizations to promote social justice. However, little is known about<br/>gender integration efforts in Muslim humanitarian faith-based organizations (FBOs).<br/>Drawing on the intersection of gender and faith humanitarianism, an insider’s<br/>professional experience, and a review of key academic and gray literature, I critically<br/>reflect on the gender integration process for one of the world’s largest UK-based Muslim<br/>humanitarian agencies - Islamic Relief Worldwide. I explore a dual pragmatic and<br/>value-based case for gender integration, including the development of a faith-informed<br/>gender policy, and its practical application. This case study suggests that humanitarian<br/>FBOs are arguably well positioned in local communities to address gender inequalities<br/>by leveraging their shared faith values and contextual understanding while building<br/>multi-stakeholder consensus. However, they navigate significant challenges due to their<br/>geographical breadth, cross-cultural, and religious diversity, strategically selecting the<br/>gender issues they address. The allocation of adequate resources in a gender-sensitive<br/>manner, beyond a women-centred approach, to transform gender relations, remains a<br/>key barrier to advancing organizational commitments to gender justice.