By Sen. Loren Legarda
Gender-responsive disaster risk governance is important and women play a vital role as leaders and agents of change.
These girls already have a vision for a future where they can thrive. Our role is to ensure they have the resources, education and leadership opportunities to turn that vision into reality.
Beyond inclusion, women and girls — and all marginalized groups — must harness their creativity and ingenuity to lead sustainable solutions to our most pressing development challenges.
Disasters disproportionately affect women, girls, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and marginalized communities, especially in areas such as the Asia-Pacific region.
Based on data from the World Health Organization, PWDs are up to four times more likely to die during disasters.
Countries must ensure that early warning systems, evacuation procedures and recovery plans must be accessible to everybody, removing barriers that prevent full participation.
Local communities, which are on the frontlines of disaster response, must be empowered through education, resources, and capacity-building.
Building resilience is about amplifying the voices of those often unheard — women, girls, PWDs and marginalized communities.
Let us commit to inclusive governance, where every voice is heard, and no one is left behind.