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EDITORIAL
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Friday, March 2, 2018
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WOMEN are more vulnerable to disaster and climate change impacts than men, according to statistics. The aftermath of super typhoon “Yolanda” in 2013, for example, revealed how vulnerable women were to disasters. More than 3.5 million women and girls were affected, while 250,000 of them were pregnant and 169,000 were breastfeeding.
Women are more vulnerable to disasters because they have special needs, like pregnant and lactating women, and they are the primary caregivers in times of disaster whether in the family or in the community. Their distinct nutritional needs, when unmet, make coping with disasters tougher. Also, displacement from their homes put women at greater risk of sexual violence and of falling prey to human traffickers.
This vulnerability, however, can turn into strengths with gender-sensitive government programs that address the special needs of women.
This March as National Women’s Month, we should break social, cultural and institutional barriers that constrain women from, among others, effectively adapting to climate change effects to ensure their well-being and that of their families. Our goal should also be to empower and allow them to become part of disaster and climate resilience efforts, thereby addressing the risks they face.
How do we make uneducated girls part of our disaster risk reduction (DRR) strategies while we strive to give them access to education? How do we make climate leaders out of women even as we struggle to provide access to fair employment to them in some sectors of our society? How can our women lead in DRR efforts when socio-cultural norms restrict their movements? Unless we find solutions to these fundamental issues, our call for women leadership in climate resilience efforts will be futile.
We must invest in women, make them part of decision-making, as their development role is crucial in adapting to climate change and building community resilience to disasters. From the quiet but steady work they perform at their communities, women should move into the frontlines of delivering decisive action towards a sustainable and resilient planet. Addressing gender equality and women empowerment issues, as well as allowing greater involvement of women in crafting policies and planning programs on climate and disaster resilience will make a big difference.
Gender mainstreaming is already an agreed principle. How can we remain faithful to this belief? We need to take action.
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