Our CADUS team unites different feminist perspectives – sometimes similar, sometimes controversial, but always with a common goal: a fairer world based on solidarity.

Lysann – CO-Management

FLINTA* are essential pillars of their communities in war and crisis zones by organizing protection, care and reconstruction. They are indispensable for sustainable, equitable and intersectional humanitarian relief, but are often excluded from decision-making processes.

For this reason, CADUS advocates feminist approaches in humanitarian relief. These are necessary because crises reinforce existing inequalities and affect FLINTA* and marginalized groups particularly severely. Humanitarian reponse should be inclusive and equitable in order to reduce universal inequalities instead of reproducing them. The perspectives of FLINTA* are often ignored and their specific needs are not taken into account. It is therefore important that FLINTA* are actively involved in shaping humanitarian policy based on the realities of their lives.

In conflicts and emergency situations, FLINTA* are exposed to an increased risk of violence, displacement and deprivation of basic services. Humanitarian relief must be designed in such a way that it recognizes these risks and implements protection mechanisms. In addition, there are often cultural and structural barriers that impede access to medical care, food, education and hygiene. Without targeted programs that break down these barriers, humanitarian response remains incomplete and inequitable. It is not enough to simply alleviate acute emergencies – a long-term commitment to structural change is required. Humanitarian relief should not be a short-term intervention, but should challenge deep-rooted inequalities and promote the self-determination of those affected. This is the only way to truly restore dignity, security and autonomy after a disaster.

CADUS therefore attaches great importance to working with local structures, especially FLINTA*, who are often among those most affected by crises and play a crucial role in response and recovery. To ensure that humanitarian relief is effective and equitable, their perspectives and needs must be at the center of efforts.

Anna-Lea – Head of Training & Education,
Community Management

Humanitarian relief should save lives, not cement power structures. Sounds logical, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, this is often not the reality. Instead, old, colonial patterns are happily continued, FLINTA* is systematically ignored and the biggest money flows to large organizations from the Global North – which in turn decide what “the people” need in war and crises.

The problem is that the power lies with the big international players. Those who have the money have the upper hand and dictate what happens, how and where. These decision-makers are usually based in countries that are at least partly responsible for the misery, war and crises in the affected areas. Local organizations, especially FLINTA*-led structures, are often left out of the equation. Yet they are the ones who know the needs of their communities best. We urgently need to stop talking about “local participation” and put real decision-making power in the hands of those who have to bear the brunt of the crisis.

“One concept for all!” THAT has never worked – especially not in humanitarian reponse. FLINTA*, BIPoC, queer people, people with disabilities – they all experience crises differently and have different needs and hurdles. Ignoring this does not help, but ensures that the same people are lost again and again. An intersectional approach means taking these perspectives seriously, consciously including marginalized groups and designing structures in such a way that they don’t just suit white cis men in their mid-30s.

In addition, FLINTA* often have a doubly difficult time in the humanitarian world. Whether in international NGOs or as local aid workers: They are ignored, not taken seriously or deliberately played off against each other and ostracized. At the same time, they are often the ones who do most of the work on the ground, keep communities going and have the really important networks.

What I mean by this is that power structures must be questioned, funds must be distributed differently and feminist approaches must become the norm – for fairer intersectional humanitarian reponse!

Cami – Head of HR & Volunteer

What are the biggest hurdles for FLINTA* working in the humanitarian field?

I know first-hand that there are differences in the treatment and recognition of medical professionals – this is reflected in every crew interview I conduct. Risking your own life to help people in the greatest of emergencies takes courage and dedication. But to also rebel against existing gender relations and stand up to them with determination and self-determination is unprecedented and deserves the utmost respect.

I wish that more FLINTA*s would dare to do this, because I know that you can.

Why is a feminist approach necessary in humanitarian response?

There is no question that we should always be the first to reflect on ourselves and look into the mirror – nevertheless, I would like to see more FLINTA*-related humanitarian relief, including in the affected areas. Education, contraception, dealing with (systematic) sexualized violence, oppression, taboo sexuality and female anatomy, freedoms and rights belong just as much in the focus of humanitarian response as physical and mental integrity. What Flinta* and girls have to endure in the affected areas is beyond our imagination.

We need to raise awareness and be brave enough to call these things by their name and work resolutely against them. This will only work if we train doctors and specialized care teams accordingly and deploy them in a targeted manner.

What positive examples are there of feminist approaches in humanitarian relief?

Sexism and anti-feminism have many faces in our everyday lives – from the lives of medical professionals to work in the back office and deployment in the affected areas. We can only make a difference if we constantly reflect on our work, decisions and assessments and align them with our values.

I attach great importance to ensuring that the doctors I take on to our teams are aware of feminist struggles. I also specifically promote young, inexperienced FLINTA*s who have convinced me in the interviews.

I’m often told that it’s unconventional – but that’s what people said about feminism 100 years ago.

Lara – Project Assistant Infield Team Ukraine

Crises and conflicts do not affect people equally. Gender, social background, ethnicity and other identity characteristics influence how badly someone is affected by a crisis and how well they are able to access help. This is precisely where feminist humanitarian response comes in: Intersectional aid means making the quiet voices louder. It recognizes these inequalities and actively tries to reduce them.

It’s about not only providing help, but also critically questioning: Who makes decisions? Whose needs are prioritized? Who remains unheard? This is exactly where feminist and intersectional humanitarian work should start.

Patriarchal structures must not only be named, they must be broken. This requires clear steps: the active inclusion and co-determination of marginalized groups, the strengthening of local actors and an awareness of existing power relations – even within their own ranks. FLINTA* in the humanitarian sector often fight not only against crises, but also against structures.

Just humanitarian response is only possible if we recognize and change these dynamics.

Ronja – Project Management

Why is a feminist approach necessary in the humanitarian field?

Humanitarian relief – like everything else – must be feminist so that FLINTA* people and people who are systemically discriminated against in other ways are not forgotten. Whether in our day-to-day work in the back office or in an extreme situation in a conflict region (as a female humanitarian response worker or affected person) – everywhere we have to overcome additional hurdles that our cis-male colleagues are spared. This can mean that we have to provide additional justification when we leave our family behind to provide humanitarian relief in a war zone. But it can also mean that we do not receive the best possible medical care because our symptoms differ from those in the medical textbook.Many FLINTA* people experience different symptoms than men when they have a heart attack, which is why FLINTA* heart attacks often go unrecognized and lead to death more quickly).

In order not to ignore these structural injustices and thus unconsciously reproduce them, humanitarian relief must have a feminist approach!

Why is an intersectional approach important in humanitarian response and how can it be implemented?

Whoever says feminism must also say intersectionality! In Germany – and throughout the western world – we like to think of FLINTA* in leadership positions when we talk about feminism. But that is only a tiny part of what feminism is all about. Intersectionality means thinking about other forms of discrimination that people suffer from. It requires us not to judge those affected through the lens of our white feminism, but to focus on their personal and individual needs and act accordingly.

In a treatment situation, this can mean that we do not follow our learned classic pattern, but enter into a discussion with those affected and choose a treatment that meets their wishes and needs – in certain cases, this can also mean deliberately foregoing treatment.

What concrete steps are needed to break patriarchal structures in the humanitarian world?

You would think that humanitarian relief and patriarchal structures are mutually exclusive. That would be nice! Humanitarian response was and still is very white and male-dominated. And wherever white men are in charge, competitive thinking and pressure to perform are not far away. This is also the case in the humanitarian sector – as well as in the entire non-profit sector: people work themselves to the bone, regularly go beyond their limits and outdo each other with what and how much they have not achieved. This is not just patriarchal bully behavior, but also capitalist performance thinking.

In certain situations, clear hierarchies are necessary in order to make quick decisions – in extreme cases, these can mean the difference between life and death. Nevertheless, we can break through patriarchal and capitalist structures by simply shifting down a gear and remembering that we are all human beings. Even in hierarchies, we can ask each other how we are doing. Let’s stop thinking only about performance and results and start being humanitarian towards ourselves and each other.

(Or let’s just have FLINTA*s as managers. At a training session I had with CADUS, we asked ourselves at the end why it was so harmonious the whole time and there were no conflicts: for four days, only women were deployed in management positions – context or coincidence?)