MEDIA printable version

Handbook for the protection of women and girls

This Handbook describes some of the protection challenges faced by women and girls of concern to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and outlines various strategies that we should adopt with our partners to tackle these challenges. It sets out the legal standards and principles that guide our work to protect women and girls and outlines the different roles and responsibilities of States and other actors. UNHCR’s own responsibilities in this respect are explained, both as part of its mandate to secure international protection and durable solutions and as a United Nations (UN) agency.
The primary purpose of the Handbook is to help UNHCR staff fulfil their responsibilities to protect these women and girls more effectively. It is therefore intended for representatives, other managers, protection staff in the field and at headquarters, registration officers, eligibility officers, community services staff, field officers, and others. Protection partners will find it a useful source of information and guidance.
The Handbook is intended to be used in situations of asylum, internal displacement, return, integration, and statelessness. It is equally applicable in urban and rural contexts.