A/HRC/27/57 people around the world. The rise has little to do with the price charged by the producers, who continue to gain very little from the sale of their crops, thus perpetuating their poverty and worsening their situation in emergencies. 2. Gender focus 62. One best practice identified from the responses received to the questionnaires was to consider gender issues in disaster responses. For example, men and women need different personal hygiene kits, food and water supplies. 63. Shelters should have separate restrooms for men and women, and a private room where women can undertake intimate cleaning. A gender-based approach and mainstreaming should consider the specific needs of women. For example, there should be more toilets constructed for women, given that women usually need to spend more time in toilets and often take their children with them. In addition, the so-called “code of conviviality” established that kitchen brigades are mixed in order to promote gender equity. 64. Mechanisms should also be in place to protect against gender-based violence and rape. Women and girls often are victims of rape and sexual harassment, and are at a high risk of sexual assault, for instance, when collecting water. Women, girls, the elderly and children are also at risk of domestic violence. Centres offering psychological assistance for people affected by domestic violence should be in place. As part of humanitarian aid, consideration should be given to the need for shelters for women and child survivors of violence. 65. It is important to involve women in the delivery of and arrangements for humanitarian aid supplies in order to avoid preferential treatment towards men and to ensure women’s empowerment in the community. Women should not have to bear the burden of caring for their families alone; they should not have to give sexual favours in order to secure food or other assistance; and they should be given as much access to services and assistance as men, especially since it is often women who take care of the needs of children and elderly family members, in addition to their own. 66. Secure play areas should be put in place for children and their parents in order to encourage solidarity and provide emotional support to affected people. 67. Thematic guidelines need to be developed taking into account the special needs of women, children and persons with disabilities. With regard to children, special attention should be given to former child soldiers and victims of any form of violence. 3. Respect for cultural values 68. Provision of food and clothes should take into account traditional and cultural practices. There is also a need to increase the knowledge of indigenous peoples about support and resilience, which are key for the recovery of the affected people’s livelihoods in their own territories or new ones. 69. Humanitarian kits that respond to cultural practices and the needs of the population in terms of food, kitchen, home and cleaning should be developed. Support programmes for nutrition should be designed according to cultural requirements relating to food and the nutritional needs of women, girls, children and targeted populations. 4. Multilevel approach 70. Humanitarian aid is based on legal and operational frameworks at international, regional, national and local levels. Experience and lessons learned should be considered for emergency response planning and implementation. A multilevel approach can facilitate the decentralization of emergency response. 18