Aileen's diversified agri-tourism business model has helped her remain resilient despite being affected by many disasters.
Aileen Burness, South Sea Orchids and Fiji Floriculture Support Association,FijiThe itaukei (indigenous Fijian) system of solesolevaki, the act of coming together to work and share knowledge, is used by Seruwaia's women's group—the Naitasiri Women in Dairy—to support and empower each other.
Seruwaia Kubukubu, Dairy and mushroom farmer, Naitasiri Women in Dairy, Fiji“See me for my ability, not for my disability. I have the ability to do anything. We need to work together to reduce barriers, and to see what ways will help our people who are at risk, to address their needs and to include them. Nothing about us, without us–it is our global tagline.”
Naomi Tai, Advocate, People with Disability, Solomon Islands“I try to assist the community in the outer islands to build their resilience against climate change by facilitating trainings, especially adding value to coconut products, bridging the gap between what is offered to the communities in terms of improving their capacity to enhance their lifestyle.”
Ahling Onorio, Kiribati Organic Farmers Association, Kiribati“...I decided to bring about change in the lives of my people. We set out to renovate the buildings and establish a health centre because how can we be climate change resilient people when we are not healthy.”
Pelenise Alofa, National Coordinator of the Kiribati Climate Action Network, KiribatiJannatul and her team provided emergency support to women, elder people, and adolescent girls after cyclone Amphan ravaged the coasts of India and Bangladesh during pandemic.
Jannatul Mouwa, Executive Director of Best Initiative National Development Unification, Bangladesh
From life expectancy to education, health, safety, job security and nutrition, women are disproportionately impacted by disasters, including climate-related disasters and pandemics.
Women's exposure and vulnerability are amplified by the presence of underlying risk drivers, including gender inequality and by their lack of agency and leadership in disaster resilience efforts.
The WRD Knowledge Hub brings together a network of people who support women and girls affected by disasters and climate change.
We champion women’s agency and leadership in addressing the risks posed by disasters and we gather and share evidence, tools, and expertise to ensure efforts to help women and girls prepare and adapt to disasters and climate change are well-informed, coordinated and effective.
At Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT) and UN Women we firmly believe that quality data and evidence have the power to inform and transform the way we build resilience in times of crisis.
Over a period of seven years after the deadly tsunami in Chile, women have moved from being passive victims to active agents of change, contributing economically, socially and politically to the community’s development—a radical change that has empowered women and improved their position in the community.
Disasters and climate change impact people differently based on a huge number of variables. From the country you’re living in, your relative wealth, your status, gender, age, sexuality, physical and mental capacities etc. can all shape the amount of risk you experience and how quickly you’re able to bounce back from a disaster.
Experience shows that gender-responsive prevention and preparedness leads to more effective local and national response and better management of infectious diseases.
Even though women and girls face greater vulnerability and exposure to disasters, they remain largely ignored and their capacities unleveraged in conventional resilience-building processes.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a stark reminder of the way socio-economic inequalities and barriers affect vulnerability and exposure to disasters. Amongst these, gender and age are decisive factors influencing people’s ability to prevent, prepare for and recover from COVID-19 and its consequences.
Gender inequality of risk
Gender-responsive systems
Resilience action for women
Underlying risk factors, such as gender inequality, cause women and men to be affected differently by disasters and climate change. Discrimination, unequal access to opportunities and resources, and socially constructed differences can impact the ability of women and girls to effectively prevent, prepare, survive and recover from disasters. Disasters often magnify the inequalities and hardships vulnerable and marginalized groups are already facing, fueling a vicious cycle where the vulnerable are even less prepared when the next crisis strikes.
To reduce gender inequalities of risk and ensure transformative change, it is crucial to build an enabling and sustainable environment that will allow women and girls to best leverage their abilities and potential. Prevention, preparedness and recovery systems and processes need to consider gender norms, roles and inequalities and take measures to actively address them.
When equipped with access to information, services, tools and opportunities, women and girls can propose, design, lead and implement innovative and transformative solutions to disaster resilience and build sustainable, secure and thriving communities.
