Study of Gender Sensitivity in Humanitarian Assistance Programming in North East Nigeria

Humanitarian assistance in Nigeria's North East must navigate acute displacement, insecurity, and cultural complexity, yet the gender sensitivity of programming delivered by humanitarian actors remains inconsistently implemented. This study assesses gender sensitivity in humanitarian assistance programming in North East Nigeria, focusing on food aid, shelter, and livelihoods programmes in Borno and Adamawa States. A mixed-method design was adopted, with 90 humanitarian programme managers and 100 female aid recipients completing structured questionnaires and interviews. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Findings reveal that while international NGOs generally incorporate gender considerations in programme design documents, field-level implementation is inconsistent. Female-specific needs, including reproductive health supplies, dignity kits, and child-safe spaces to free mothers for programme participation, are inadequately provisioned. Distribution systems that require women to collect aid in mixed-gender settings expose them to harassment and reduce uptake. Local partner NGOs demonstrate lower gender mainstreaming capacity than international actors. Recommendations include mandatory gender minimum standards for all humanitarian actors in the North East, investment in local partner gender capacity building, and participatory assessments co-led by displaced women to inform programme design. Keywords: gender sensitivity, humanitarian assistance, North East Nigeria, GBV, women in crisis