On the 13th October, each year, we celebrate the International Day for Disaster Reduction. This year the theme of the celebration is “Women and Girls - the [in]Visible Force of Resilience". To mark this occasion, we asked some of the wonderful women who work in this field, to explain the importance of disaster risk reduction in their own words.
This is what they said:
“If we now know that women and girls are more prone to die during disasters (14 times more than men according to Peterson,2007) and we are the foundation for the world´s economy, it is necessary and
urgent that we participate in decision-making positions regarding policies and plans for disaster response.” Rocío García de las Heras, Swiss Labour Assistance, El Salvador
“Risk reduction to me means building essential resilience and this can’t be achieved without looking to include those most integral to society’s development, but perhaps most vulnerable to the effect of disasters. By working to ensure animals as part of the path to building resilience we’re working towards a more integrated and sustainable future for everyone.” Lindsay Jardine, Disaster Operations Manager, WSPA International
"Investing in disaster risk reduction decreases the cost of disasters. Psychological and social support during a disaster is essential,especially for vulnerable groups such as women and girls. Preserving the livelihoods such as farm animals and the bonds with pets helps reduce the anxiety suffered by the victims of a disaster.” Hannia Woodman, Regional Disaster Response Assistant, OCHA Panama
"Protecting the livelihoods of the communities, is one of the smartest ways to really reduce risk, since you work directly to address vulnerability.” Melissa Allemant Salas, Focal Point for E-learning,
DesAprender.org
The International Day for Disaster Reduction started in 1989 with the approval by the United Nations General Assembly. The UN General Assembly sees the IDDR as a way to promote a global culture of disaster reduction, including disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness.
For more information visit: http://www.unisdr.org/2012/iddr/
