Interview

Pratima says the pandemic has brought challenges for everyone but she says the impact for people with disabilities, indigenous people and ethnic minorities are different from others in culture and context.

More needs to be done to recognize GBV as a core disaster management issue. Alyssa Thurston thinks one reason policies have failed to support women is because they have not adequately included women in disaster planning.

Vasiti Soko is the first female Director of Fiji National Disaster Management Office (NDMO). In a span of two years after she was appointed, Vasiti coordinated Fiji’s response to seven tropical cyclones and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Nuraini Rahma Hanifa works with the Research Center for Geotechnology, Research Organization of Earth Sciences, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), previously known as Indonesia Institute of Sciences (LIPI).

This collection of inspiring women are finalists for the Women’s International Network for Disaster Risk Reduction Leadership Awards.

This collection of inspiring women are finalists for the Women’s International Network for Disaster Risk Reduction Leadership Awards.

“I was interested in the work of disaster risk reduction because when I was a small girl, a cyclone hit my community,” Ruth recalls.

“If women's involvement also becomes an essential step in screening those project proposals, and their leadership will be encouraged, that would be a success,” Aiping says.

Lea says the lack of gender equality in decision-making has made it harder for women to be heard in disaster planning and in all aspects of Philippine society.

Josephine Castillo ‘Jhocas’ helped start DAMPA after the demolition of a division of settlements of urban poor in Manila in the 1980’s. The network shares best practices to transform communities by building resilience.