INTRODUCTION
ActionAid is working with poor communities across the world to support them in building their resilience to disasters, climate change and other shocks and stresses. This work is of ever-growing importance, not only because of changing weather patterns and rising temperatures increasing the likelihood of disasters, but also because of growing risks related to violent conflict, human and livestock epidemics, environmental degradation and political and economic crises.
The shape and nature of our resilience programmes varies from country to country, depending on the local context, but generally includes a combination of approaches such as disaster risk reduction, climate resilient sustainable agriculture, natural resource management, humanitarian response and recovery, and promoting accountable and inclusive governance.
What sets us apart is our focus on women’s rights and leadership in resilience-building.
It is widely known that women and girls are disproportionally affected by disasters, climate change and conflict. Women and girls face heightened risks due to the cultural and social norms that define gender stereotypes, and the breakdown of normal protection structures during crises. We see that all forms of violence against women and girls are exacerbated during humanitarian crises, and in emergency relief and recovery efforts women tend to be discriminated against by existing norms and processes. For example, social customs and women’s role as carers limits their mobility and access to public spaces, meaning they do not directly receive relief items and are restricted from taking part in the decision-making that affects their lives.
Though the concept of gendered vulnerability is important for understanding the different ways in which women and men are affected by disasters, it must not be forgotten that there is nothing natural about this vulnerability. Rather, it is caused by the social and economic disadvantage that women experience as a result of socially constructed gender roles, systematic discrimination, and the power imbalance between women and men. While it is important to understand women’s vulnerability to disasters and climate change, it is also vital to avoid stereotyping women as inherently vulnerable, passive recipients of aid and protection. This has previously precluded women from being considered as active agents in humanitarian action and resilience-building, and overlooks the fulfilment of their right to equal participation and decision-making.
Women have a fundamental right to contribute to the decisions that affect their lives, and they bring vital skills, resources and experience to building resilience. They hold intimate ‘front-line’ knowledge of the local environment, including a good understanding of local-level risk, which is extremely useful in identifying and implementing the most effective resilience building activities.
Women’s connections within their community and their skills in mobilisation suggest they are well-placed to be transformative agents in community disaster planning and preparedness, should they be empowered to do so. “Women have an inherent capacity for risk management which has not been capitalised upon,” says Santosh Kumar, director of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Disaster Management Centre. “Experience from disasters indicates that the way women handle risk is different from men. They have different qualities to bring to disaster planning that have been ignored in the name of vulnerability.” When supported and empowered to take up a leadership role, the women ActionAid works with have shown readiness and enthusiasm to lead resilience-building efforts, and have time and again demonstrated their ability to do so. Women are leading initiatives to diversify livelihoods, adapt agricultural practices in the light of climate change, ensure governmental disaster management strategies incorporate their needs, and advocate for sustainable use of natural resources.
Our experiences demonstrate that facilitating women’s leadership in resilience-building fosters a sense of self-confidence and empowerment among women that can help transform gender power relations in their households and communities, and overcome the barriers that have traditionally excluded women from decision-making and leadership.
The case studies in this publication demonstrate the incredible courage of women who have taken up leadership roles in different resilience-building initiatives in eight countries across Africa and Asia.
The stories illustrate the personal changes women have experienced, from being confined to their domestic responsibilities to participating in community decision-making processes and earning an income from different livelihood activities. They show the transformative change that women can bring about individually, or when they organise as a group.
Such as in Vietnam, where women have demanded local authorities recognise and protect their right to forest land, and led the design and implementation of sustainable forest-based livelihoods. Or in Malawi, where women have decided to transition to agro-ecological farming practices, demonstrating its success and encouraging the larger community to follow suit.
They are true stories of change, and we hope they inspire you.
