The third day of the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) in Manila brought forward vital discussions on inclusive governance with a focus on the ‘Sendai GAP’ and integrating marginalised voices into DRR strategies, the day was packed with engaging sessions, insightful panel discussions, and forward-thinking initiatives
Accelerating the Sendai Framework with Gender-Responsive DRR
A key highlight of the day was the session on ‘Sendai GAP: Accelerating the Achievement of the Sendai Framework through Gender-Responsive DRR’ Madhavi Ariyabandu, a Steering Committee member of DN, participated as a panellist for a session on Sendai GAP implementation. She discussed how the patriarchal structure of social, institutional, and legal systems limits access to resources, which increases the vulnerability of women and marginalised groups. She highlighted the importance of gender data and focusing on women’s unique skill sets and capacity in DRR efforts.
Other panelists present at the session included Mr. Anil Pokhrel, Chief Executive of Nepal's Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, who shared the GEDSI strategy of NDRRMA and its contribution to the Sendai GAP implementation. Ms. Noelene Nabulivou from Diva Fiji shared a case study of a women-led anticipatory action initiative and urged the view of women and marginalised groups as strategic partners in disaster risk reduction, advocating for gender justice and bodily autonomy in inclusive DRR efforts. Sonekham Phommahaxay from Laos PDR discussed Laos’ efforts in DRR.
Furthermore, continuing the Help Desk sessions, two sessions were conducted on the third day of the conference
The first session focused on gender equality across laws, policies, and strategies. Experts from various countries and sectors participated actively in the discussion. Nayyab Ali from the Peace and Justice Network in Pakistan shared the challenges of inclusive participation of transgender groups. She also spoke about the approach of adopting indigenous culture and practices as a strategic means of including gender-diverse groups in mainstream legal and economic institutions.
Amparo Maciano from WENet Philippines shared the importance of acknowledging and mainstreaming indigenous people in DRR action. Riziel Castro from FPOP also shared her organisation’s humanitarian efforts during disasters. Michelle Higelin from ActionAid shared resources to promote community-centric DRR actions.
The second session focused on inclusive disaster risk governance. Four experts—Flora Vano from ActionAid, Henry Hernowo and Corazon Clarin from DiDRRN, and Madhavi Ariyabandhu from Duryog Nivaran—participated in the discussion. They shared different perspectives on ensuring inclusive disaster risk governance and highlighted the importance of including women, girls, people with disabilities, indigenous people, and vulnerable groups in the decision-making process. The discussion also covered the importance of having more women in STEM to strengthen disaster risk mitigation efforts and disaster risk governance
The sessions concluded with plans to build a pool of resources and expertise to hold a series of webinars in the coming days.
Meeting with SIDRRA Consortium
DN also participated in a periodic meeting with SIDRRA project consortium partners IRC, ADRRN, and PBSC in the evening. As the project is nearing the end of its inception phase, the discussion focused on lessons learned, priorities for the next year, and the development of a joint advocacy communication plan. All partners shared their achievements and future plans. Following the discussion, the partners are expected to develop joint advocacy plans based on the scoping study report, with support from ADRRN’s commitment to action
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