In Malaysia, empowering women is a national priority for reducing the country’s disaster risk, according to Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail:

“Currently 30% of the senior positions in the Government of Malaysia are filled by women. Our goal is to have 50% of the disaster risk management positions filled by women.”

Women are powerful influencers of change in their families and communities, and when given leadership positions, can bring about transformational change, according to Ms. Mami Mizutori, Head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.

She spoke in particular about the leadership of Ms. Doris Ombara, a City Manager in the Kenyan city of Kisumu which she has transformed into a role model for inclusive disaster risk reduction.  Ms. Ombara mobilizes the women of the city to become active participants in their city’s resilience:

“She talks to the women in the city. They know what the issues are and show them to the City Manager. She in turns fixes them. This is leadership at the top and leadership at the bottom.”

The Special Session concluded that more must be done to ensure women are at the centre of decision-making and implementation of DRR strategies. Such an approach is more likely to create solutions that are sustainable, inclusive and transformational.

Date:

16 May 2019

Sources:

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)

Themes:

Advocacy & Media

Hazards:

Cyclone

Countries:

Bangladesh

Regions:

Africa, Americas, Europe, Asia, Oceania