Women’s Leadership in Risk- Resilient Development: Good Practices and Lessons Learned

Purpose

This publication aims to shed some light on women’s capabilities to take leading roles in building disaster resilience. It features women as drivers of change in different socio-economic contexts, and under various gender conditions.

The publication includes case studies from 14 countries in Africa, Asia and Oceania. For each case study it looks at the initiative, its impact and results, the good practices, lessons learned and potential for replication.

Overview

  • Based on the success of the Girls in Risk Reduction Leadership (GIRRL) Project of the African Centre for Disaster Studies (ACDS), a project is under way in Lesotho, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, adapting GIRRL to local contexts. Trained as leaders and resource persons, participating school girls have gained better social status and taken up leadership roles, serving as key Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) informants. The girls also identified potential hazards and encouraged DRR measures. Through them, gender equity is introduced into DRR work.
  • Following the Black Saturday bushfires in Australia on Saturday 7 February 2009, research was conducted to throw some light on what actually happens to women during a disaster and its aftermath in Australia. Based on its findings, a series of women-led actions and events took place, leading to many Australian ‘firsts’, of which the creation of Australia’s first Gender & Disaster Taskforce, a key body for advancing gender and disaster issues in Victoria.
  • Some remote coastal villages in southern Bangladesh are not yet reached by the country’s national disaster management system. In light of the above, Action Against Hunger (ACF) implemented a Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) pilot project in 10 villages, establishing a Village Disaster Management Committee (VDMC) and a Women’s Committee (WC) in each of them. When a tropical storm struck, shortly after the end of the project, the women put in practice the disaster preparedness measures that had been explained to them. They protected their lives and livelihoods, on their own initiative, without the intervention of the national disaster management system.

Usage: Learning from experience

Audiences: Technical staff, Gender and diversity practitioners, Volunteers

Reference: United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015). Women’s Leadership in Risk- Resilient Development: Good Practices and Lessons Learned (pp. 1-96). Available from: http://www.unisdr.org/files/42882_42882womensleadershipinriskresilien.pdf [Accessed: 23 December 2015].

Loading

No ratings yet.

Rate This!

Download: https://www.rcrc-resilience-southeastasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/42882_42882womensleadershipinriskresilien.pdf

Older People in Disasters and Humanitarian Crises: Guidelines for Best Practices

Purpose

The guidelines in this document give examples of key approaches and actions that could help the humanitarian community reduce the vulnerability associated with ageing. They also suggest ways to enhance the capacities and contribution of older people in emergencies.

The guidelines also explore the wider issues relating to older people in humanitarian crises. These range from globally agreed principles of social and civil practice and global demographic changes, to the physical impact of the ageing process, common images and assumptions held about older people, the key problems they face, and the gender dimensions of their needs.

Overview

  • The guidelines include: addressing older people’s needs; meeting basic needs; mobility; equal access to essential services; social, psychosocial and family needs; and recognise and support the contributions of older people.
  • Sample checklists to assess older people’s needs in emergencies are shown in pp. 22-24.

 

Usage: Guidance for project implementation

Audiences: Technical staff

Reference: HelpAge International (2008). Older people in disaster and humanitarian crises: Guideline for best practices. Pp 1-25. Available from: http://www.helpage.org/silo/files/older-people-in-disasters-and-humanitairan-crises-guidelines-for-best-practice.pdf [Accessed: 21st September 2016]

 

Loading

No ratings yet.

Rate This!

Download: http://www.helpage.org/download/4c4c9487cd176

Minimum Standard Commitments to Gender and Diversity in Emergency Programming – Pilot Version

Purpose

This checklist provides a quick tool for assessing compliance with the Minimum Standard Commitments in Emergency Programming for Red Cross / Red Crescent staff and volunteers in: emergency health; food security; water, sanitation and hygiene; emergency shelter; livelihoods; non-food items and disaster risk reduction.  It serves as a tool for organisations to mark progress and identify their next steps.

Overview

The Minimum Standard  Commitments for each sector are based around a framework of: dignity; access; participation; safety; and internal protection systems. The checklist provides specific indicators which an organisation can use to rate its progress (achieved, partially achieved, not achieved and not applicable), justify its score and propose next steps.

Important Note

This document is the key operational document for IFRC and Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies for gender and diversity. Over the past two years and  through the leadership of Gender and Diversity Focal Points in Southeast Asia, the Minimum Standard Commitments have been tested at national and regional level, through mainstreaming the in VCA processes, integration in NDRT & RDRT capacity building and deployments, emergency response, gender-based violence research, sensitisation on internal protection systems such as the Code of Conduct and Child Protection policy, and linking with Community Engagement and Accountability work in the region.

From these experiences, and experiences globally, it is time to revisit the standards and see where we can improve the guidance to ensure they continue to be practical and relevant! We very much encourage and welcome your comments to this guidance note through this google doc link. The guidance is split into key sectors: Health, Food Security, WASH, Emergency Shelter, Livelihoods, Non-food items and DRR, so please feel free to feedback on the sector you are most familiar with. The deadline for comments is 15th August 2017.

 

Usage: Guidance for project implementation

Audiences: Technical staff

Loading

1.5/5 (2)

Rate This!

Download: http://www.ifrc.org/Global/Photos/Secretariat/201505/Gender%20Diversity%20MSCs%20Emergency%20Programming%20HR3.pdf

Understanding community resilience and program factors that strengthen them: A Comprehensive Study of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies Tsunami Operation

Purpose

This document outlines characteristics of safe and resilient communities, including presenting case studies of communities which received Red Cross / Red Crescent support through its Tsunami operation, as well as factors and lessons in successful community-based disaster risk reduction (CBDRR) programming.

Overview

A safe and resilient community:

  • Is knowledgeable and healthy: it can assess, manage, and monitor its risks, learn new skills, and build on past experiences.
  • Is organised: it can identify problems, establish priorities, and act.
  • Is connected: it has relationships with external actors (family friends, faith groups, government) who provide a wider supportive environment, and supply goods and services when needed.
  • Has infrastructure and services: it has strong housing, transport, power, water, and sanitation systems. It has the ability to maintain, repair, and renovate them.
  • Has economic opportunities: it has a diverse range of employment opportunities, income and financial services. It is flexible, resourceful and has the capacity to accept uncertainty and respond (proactively) to change.
  • Can manage its natural assets: it recognises their value and has the ability to protect, enhance and maintain them.

Key determinants of a successful CBDRR programme include: enabling environment; programme design; and programme management.

Usage: Guidance for project implementation

Audiences: Technical staff

Loading

4/5 (2)

Rate This!

Download: https://www.rcrc-resilience-southeastasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Final_Synthesis_Characteristics_Lessons_Tsunami.pdf