In the midst of ongoing conflict, immense needs and a global humanitarian funding crisis, Amy Henderson is playing a pivotal role coordinating efforts to support some of the most vulnerable populations in Ukraine. She draws strength and motivation from the dynamic women-led partner groups she works with.
Women on the front lines: Coordinating humanitarian aid in Ukraine
Amy is the Head of UN Women’s humanitarian programme in Ukraine. Her role is to make sure that UN Women is well-coordinated with other humanitarian efforts. This means engaging with different working groups and civil society organisations, as well as keeping UN Women’s global commitments as a full-fledged member of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee – the UN’s highest level humanitarian coordination forum.
“I am also supporting UN Women’s expanding its operations. In the past few months, we have worked with women-led organisations on or near the frontline in Ukraine to provide life-saving assistance to some of the most vulnerable displaced people”, Amy explains.
UN Women has been increasingly recognised for its coordination role globally and together with the Ukrainian NGO Girls and the international NGO CARE, they chair the Ukrainian Gender in Humanitarian Action working group. While such groups often have mixed records of success and sustainability, this one has gone from strength to strength, much thanks to committed resources from these three agencies and the active participation of national civil society partners.
“The success of the Gender in Humanitarian Action working group shows the dedication of the three leading agencies and the substantial contributions from national partners, especially women’s rights organisations”, Amy notes.
A GenCap adviser was instrumental in establishing the working group in 2023, and Amy says the group is a great example of how to do coordination on gender in humanitarian response well.
“My main task is to continue to mobilise the support the group needs to sustain its work, to weigh in with technical guidance and support it to be more embedded in the coordination structure. One of my key goals for 2025 is to ensure that the Ukraine experience in coordinating gender in humanitarian action is well researched, documented and shared with other operations”, says Amy.
Amy is the Head of UN Women’s humanitarian programme in Ukraine. Her role is to make sure that UN Women is well-coordinated with other humanitarian efforts. This means engaging with different working groups and civil society organisations, as well as keeping UN Women’s global commitments as a full-fledged member of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee – the UN’s highest level humanitarian coordination forum.
“I am also supporting UN Women’s expanding its operations. In the past few months, we have worked with women-led organisations on or near the frontline in Ukraine to provide life-saving assistance to some of the most vulnerable displaced people”, Amy explains.
UN Women has been increasingly recognised for its coordination role globally and together with the Ukrainian NGO Girls and the international NGO CARE, they chair the Ukrainian Gender in Humanitarian Action working group. While such groups often have mixed records of success and sustainability, this one has gone from strength to strength, much thanks to committed resources from these three agencies and the active participation of national civil society partners.
“The success of the Gender in Humanitarian Action working group shows the dedication of the three leading agencies and the substantial contributions from national partners, especially women’s rights organisations”, Amy notes.
A GenCap adviser was instrumental in establishing the working group in 2023, and Amy says the group is a great example of how to do coordination on gender in humanitarian response well.
“My main task is to continue to mobilise the support the group needs to sustain its work, to weigh in with technical guidance and support it to be more embedded in the coordination structure. One of my key goals for 2025 is to ensure that the Ukraine experience in coordinating gender in humanitarian action is well researched, documented and shared with other operations”, says Amy.
Energising and dynamic civil society
Amy Henderson started her assignment in August 2024, a few weeks after the 1000-days of war mark in Ukraine. She finds the context in Ukraine to be unique – a “true nexus context with effective and engaged government and an extremely dynamic and capable civil society leading the response.”
When Amy started her assignment, her main motivation came from the recognition that women and girls are specifically impacted by humanitarian crisis while their capacities are under-acknowledged and utilised in response and recovery.
But after six months on the job in Ukraine, her motivations have evolved.
“The incredible, dynamic women’s organisations on the frontlines and throughout Ukraine are doing life-saving work and supporting people to rebuild their lives. They are also very involved in holding humanitarian decision-makers to account – for example by highlighting the funding gaps for women’s organisations. The work of the Ukrainian civil society is very energizing”, she emphasises.
Local colleagues are models of resilience
Despite the well-managed operation, Amy and her colleagues face challenges such as securing funding for scaling up programmes and dealing with regulations that can delay critical support. The ongoing conflict also disrupts work, with frequent air alerts affecting productivity and causing sleep deprivation.
One morning after a particularly long night of multiple alarms and moving back and forth from the shelter, Amy was horrified to realise she had not only slept through her alarm clock but also missed a staff meeting.
“My apology to colleagues for my bad form was brushed off with laughter and the assurance that this was “normal” and “happens all the time”. This exchange demonstrated to me how the situation is somehow normalised as people get on with their lives while trying to cope with omnipresent danger”, she reflects.
She counts herself fortunate to being included in a well-managed team and a well-run operation, a situation she knows is not a universal experience for all NORCAP colleagues.
“I would also like to mention my admiration and respect for my Ukrainian colleagues. They are all coping with a tremendous amount of uncertainty about Ukraine’s future and the implications for themselves and their families. Many are processing grief and trauma or live in fear of something happening to their family members. In spite of all that, they work hard and somehow manifest good humour and optimism. They are models of resilience and I am fortunate to have them as colleagues”, she says.