NEW YORK, October 20 (IPS) – Climate and environmental challenges are hitting harder and more often, reshaping people’s lives around the world. While disasters touch everyone, their impacts are not felt equally. The most marginalized, especially women and girls, are too often the first to suffer and the last to recover.
Social roles, discrimination and economic inequalities amplify the risks women face in times of crisis and undermine communities’ capacity to rebuild their livelihoods. Placing gender equality at the heart of disaster risk reduction[1] (DDR) isn’t only a matter of fairness, but a key to a more resilient future for all.
UNDP is working with partners to translate this vision into action, by advancing equality and inclusion at every stage of disaster risk reduction, from preparedness to response and recovery. Drawing on our experience we see five powerful ways women’s leadership and meaningful participation can strengthen communities’ ability to withstand and recover from future shocks.
Women’s leadership strengthens resilience
At UNDP, we actively open doors for women to shape decisions and policies at every level, from local committees to national platforms. We draw on their expertise and perspectives while amplifying the leadership and innovation they already bring to building resilience.
By investing in women’s ideas and supporting their initiatives, we help unlock solutions that ripple across communities, strengthening food security, sustaining livelihoods, and driving progress on every front.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina[2], the Feminist Coalition for Climate Justice, supported by UNDP, has improved working conditions for over 75,000 women, trained 1,500 women officials in energy and climate management, and opened new opportunities for women-led enterprises.
Meanwhile, in Chad[3], with support from France through the Global Women, Peace and Security initiative[4], women’s cooperatives have combined climate-smart agriculture, solar irrigation, and early warning systems to reduce flood risks and support recovery, showing how women-led approaches can strengthen risk reduction measures, preparedness, livelihoods and peacebuilding, even in fragile settings.
Resilience relies on care
Resilience depends on care, and women shoulder more than three-quarters of the world’s unpaid caregiving, supporting children, older adults, people with disabilities and entire communities. These responsibilities grow during crises, as disasters disrupt schools, health systems and basic services, placing even greater pressure on women.
Recognizing and prioritizing care in disaster management, through early warning systems, safe spaces, and continuity of essential services, helps protect lives and speeds up recovery for everyone.
UNDP supports countries to integrate care into disaster and climate strategies. In Honduras, Cuba, Belize and Guatemala, a geo-referenced care mapping tool helps to identify gaps in childcare, eldercare and disability-inclusive services. In Honduras, this analysis helped authorities identify ‘care deserts’ in flood- and landslide-prone areas, prioritize safe-space upgrades, and ensure that care continuity is factored into evacuation and rehabilitation plans.
In Ukraine[5], the ‘Mommy in the Shelter’ initiative transformed a basement into a child-friendly refuge activated during air raids, linking early warning with ongoing maternal and childcare support, even in acute conflicts.
Gender data means better planning and better response
Good planning starts with good data. Without information that is broken down by sex, age, and disability, disaster risk reduction policies can miss the unique needs and strengths of different parts of the community, especially for marginalized groups. High-quality gender disaggregated data helps ensure that strategies are targeted, effective and inclusive.
Last year, UNDP increased sex-disaggregated data and gender analysis in 20 countries[6] affected by crisis. Cuba, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Samoa and Yemen developed early warning systems that strengthen women’s engagement and leadership.
In Ethiopia, disaster risk reduction measures helped women-headed households recover from landslides, while in Armenia[7], inclusive risk assessments led by women fed directly into local development and recovery plans.
Institutions equipped with gender capacities are better equipped for resilience
Resilient communities start with resilient institutions. When organizations, from national authorities managing risks, to local risk committees, embed gender considerations into their policy, planning and programming, good intentions turn to real progress, moving from rhetoric to routine.
Guatemala’s[8] national disaster risk management authority set a new standard by earning UNDP’s Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions[9]. This means gender mandates, data and participation, including for Indigenous women, are woven into local risk management. Stronger institutions like these are better equipped to meet people’s needs and build lasting resilience.
Breaking down barriers, building resilience
Despite real progress, gaps remain. Gender equality is still too often sidelined across disaster, climate, humanitarian and development efforts. Let’s work together to make women’s leadership, care and inclusion central to every plan and policy.
Together, we can:
- • Make women’s leadership non-negotiable in DRR decision making and financing.
• Direct more capital to women’s resilience, including through risk financing, social protection, and support to women-led enterprises.
• Centre care in preparedness and continuity plans so alerts translate into protection for caregivers, children, older persons and persons with disabilities.
• Strengthen national and local institutional capacities to apply a gender lens to how risks are managed, from efforts to prevent, prepare, respond to and recover from hazardous events.
• When these measures are consistently applied, communities everywhere will be better able to face challenges and confidently bounce back.
Raquel Lagunas[10] is Global Director of Gender Equality, UNDP; Ronald Jackson[11] is Head of the Disaster Risk Reduction, Recovery for Building Resilience, UNDP
Source: UN Development Programme (UNDP)
IPS UN Bureau
© Inter Press Service (20251020080143) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service[12]
References
- ^ disaster risk reduction (www.undrr.org)
- ^ Bosnia and Herzegovina (www.undp.org)
- ^ Chad (www.adaptation-undp.org)
- ^ Global Women, Peace and Security initiative (stories.undp.org)
- ^ Ukraine (www.undp.org)
- ^ 20 countries (docs.un.org)
- ^ Armenia (www.undp.org)
- ^ Guatemala’s (www.undp.org)
- ^ UNDP’s Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions (www.gendersealpublicinstitutions.org)
- ^ Raquel Lagunas (www.undp.org)
- ^ Ronald Jackson (www.undp.org)
- ^ Original source: Inter Press Service (www.ipsnews.net)
- ^ Women’s Leadership at the Heart of Disaster Risk Reduction (www.globalissues.org)
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- ^ Women’s Leadership at the Heart of Disaster Risk Reduction (www.globalissues.org)