Red Crescent/Cross' Kinik vows to up female staff level

ANKARA

The Turkish Red Crescent (Kizilay) hopes to increase the number of female employees working for its parent group, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the head of the Turkish aid agency said on Monday.

"The ratio of female employees in our [IFRC] federation is around 45%. Our aim is to bring this rate to 50% soon," Kerem Kinik, who also serves as IFRC's vice president for the European region, said in a statement marking World Humanitarian Day.

"The ratio of women in the management of our federation is only 17%. This rate also needs to be increased rapidly. We know that women are doing better and they are resolute and conciliatory in solving many problems," Kinik said.

"About 130 million people in the world need humanitarian aid, and to meet their need nearly $25 billion is required annually," Kinik said, "but only 40% of it can be met."

In 2008, the UN General Assembly designated Aug. 19 World Humanitarian Day to raise awareness of humanitarian assistance worldwide and the people who risk their lives to provide it. The date marks the anniversary of the 2003 bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad, killing 22 people.

World humanitarian groups, including the Red Crescent, are struggling to cope with major humanitarian crises, Kinik said, adding that last year the national aid agencies of 191 IFRC member countries helped some 32 million people with around 14 million employees and volunteers.

*Writing by Sibel Ugurlu