Protecting the nutrition of women and adolescent girls in humanitarian settings: New GNC programming guidance

"PROTECTING THE NUTRITION OF WOMEN AND ADOLESCENT GIRLS IN HUMANITARIAN SETTINGS: New GNC programming guidance"

Wednesday, 4 September, 15.00 - 16:00 (CET/Geneva Time)

• Presenters: Megan Gayford, UNICEF | Emily Mates, UNICEF | Lindsay Wise, UNICEF
• Panelists: Charity Zvandaziva, UNICEF Malawi | Mona Shaikh, WFP | Rasha Al Ardi, GNC

Over 1 billion adolescent girls and women suffer from undernutrition, primarily due to micronutrient deficiencies and anemia, along with underweight and short height. Pregnant and breastfeeding women and adolescent girls face increased nutritional risks compared to their non-pregnant and non-breastfeeding peers. 

In light of this, the GNC has developed the first comprehensive programming guidance for pregnant and breastfeeding women and adolescent girls in humanitarian settings, as well as a complementary Evidence Review.

In this webinar, you will hear about the key recommendations for program designers and implementers, and will be able to join a Q&A with colleagues from country, regional and global roles who are working on women’s nutrition in humanitarian settings.

This webinar is hosted by UNICEF and the WFP, and will be delivered in English with simultaneous translation into French, Spanish, and Arabic.

Have questions? Email us at: Megan Gayford mgayford@unicef.org and Emily Mates emates@unicef.org.

We look forward to seeing you there!  

Speakers bios

Megan Gayford is a nutrition specialist at UNICEF HQ. She plays a key role in co-leading the GNC Programme Team and contributes to UNICEF’s initiatives supporting women in emergencies, and nutrition programme integration with gender-based violence risk mitigation and response, and social protection. 

Contact: mgayford@unicef.org

Emily Mates is a nutrition specialist at UNICEF HQ. She leads the maternal nutrition agenda, capitalizing on the current momentum at global level and supporting regional and country office colleagues as they assist governments to scale-up women’s nutrition interventions across low- and middle-income countries.

Contact: emates@unicef.org 

Lindsey Wise is a nutrition programme and policy officer at WFP HQ. She is the team lead for child wasting and maternal nutrition and plays a key role in ensuring the nutritional adequacy of household assistance, as better nutrition for the most vulnerable starts with the home diet. 

Contact: lindsey.wise@wfp.org 

Dr. Charity Zvandaziva is Chief of Nutrition at UNICEF Malawi. She is a member of both the WHO Balanced Energy Protein (BEP) guidelines development group and the BEP Technical Advisory Group, and has led the development of the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESAR) maternal nutrition landscape analysis and its action framework. She also contributed to the development of the maternal nutrition programme guidance launched at this event.

Contact: czvandaziva@unicef.org 

Mona Shaikh is the Head of Nutrition at the WFP Afghanistan Country Office, and has served WFP in Pakistan, Rome HQ, Philippines, Syria and South Sudan. Some highlights of her work experience include leading the Nutrition response in five L3 operations, setting up large scale malnutrition treatment programmes, LNS product development, national fortification programmes, Nutrition policy and partnerships, HIV/AIDS, and nutrition assessments. 

Contact: mona.shaikh@wfp.org