Women have the potential to take on an essential role in disaster mitigation. This role can be carried out in every stage of disaster mitigation, starting from pre-disaster, during emergency response, to the post-disaster periodJakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy for Prevention of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Prasinta Dewi accentuated the need to involve women in the efforts to create disaster resilience.
During a webinar on Wednesday, Dewi noted that women's resilience could be formed by providing opportunities to them for gaining equal access, capabilities, resources, and equal space.
"Women have the potential to take on an essential role in disaster mitigation. This role can be carried out in every stage of disaster mitigation, starting from pre-disaster, during emergency response, to the post-disaster period," she expounded.
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The deputy noted that if women individually or institutionally have the capacity, the level of resilience will increase. They will easily recognize disaster risks in their environment, be able to adapt, make preparedness plans, take the right decisions, and understand how to save themselves and make a quick recovery after a disaster occurs.
Dewi stated that based on Oxfam's study, for every natural, non-natural disaster, and even social conflict, 61-70 percent of the victims were women, children, older adults, and people with disabilities. This situation is caused by the lack of access to information and the lack of involvement of women in disseminating information on disasters at the village level.
Consequently, those have been causal to the high number of disaster victims.
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According to Dewi, the lack of women's participation in disaster education and dismal knowledge on the prevention and mitigation of disasters have placed women at risk of becoming victims.
The issuance of BNPB Head Regulation Number 13 of 2014 on gender mainstreaming in the field of disaster mitigation became an important tool for integrating the gender approach in the field of disaster mitigation.
She expressed hope that women's participation would be increased and women's leadership would be strengthened in every stage of disaster mitigation in their respective communities, so that the goal of protecting, saving, and reducing disaster risks can be realized.
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Translator: Devi Nindy, Raka Adji
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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