b'Soroptimist InternationalReport for the High-Level Political Forum The Humanitarian-Development Nexus and COVID-19Despite agreement that how humanitarian action isbut also that women can and should be agents of carriedoutimpactstheefficacyofsustainablechange. By working directly with women in these development efforts, and that the most successfulsituations,theirvulnerabilitiescanbeaddressed, sustainabledevelopmentworkwillincreaseandfamiliesandcommunitiescanbereached resilience and decrease need during humanitarianquickly and effectively.crises, breaking down the silos between these two sectors is continuing to prove difficult. During theInthetwoSoroptimistprojectsoutlinedinthis COVID-19pandemic,fullyaddressingthesection,womenwhohavebeenforcedtoleave humanitarian-development nexus is becoming eventheir homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, either more difficult, as we return to old, familiar ways ofdue to natural disasters or because of political and working,eventhoughitisknownthatthesesocioeconomic instability and widespread violence methodologies are not the most effective. Ratherweregivensupportthataddressedtheirneeds. thanusingdefaultapproaches,thepandemicRespondingbeyondtheimmediatehumanitarian should be seized as an opportunity to try new waysrequirements, these projects were able to promote of working to ensure the most effective outcomesdevelopmentoutcomes,includingaccessto possible.Thismustinvolveintegratingagendereducation,improvingeconomicempowerment, transformative or gender-responsive approach intoreducing the spread of disease and addressing risks allprogrammes.Byusingtheseapproaches,itsof violence. CSOs like Soroptimist International who possibletorecognisenotonlyhowwomenareare already on-the-ground when crisis hits and who disproportionately affected by humanitarian crisisare among the first responders, must be considered and benefit from sustainable development efforts,partnersinachievingthehumanitarian-development nexus.'