Women’s Ministry to ensure inclusivity in disaster risk management

Ivan Zhakata and Mutsawashe Mashandure

The Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development is committed to ensuring that disaster risk management efforts are inclusive, equitable and responsive to the needs of all people.

Speaking at the gender disaster risk management stock-taking workshop in Harare yesterday Women Affairs Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said disaster risk management must integrate gender perspectives into policies, plans and practices, to address the specific vulnerabilities and capacities of women, girls, men and boys.

There was an urgent need to review and fully implement the Disaster Risk Management Act, the Civil Protection Act, and a national risk management plan which can be replicated at the local level.

“As a ministry, we are committed to ensuring that our disaster risk management efforts are inclusive, equitable and responsive to the needs of all people by integrating gender perspectives into our policies, plans and practices, to address the specific vulnerabilities and capacities of women, girls, men and boys,” she said. “We are committed to ensuring available resources build the capacity of Government actors at different levels and other key stakeholders to integrate gender perspectives into policies, plans and practices that address the vulnerabilities of women and girls. By doing so, we ensure that our disaster management efforts are inclusive, equitable and effective.

“An empowered woman is a key agent of change and can participate meaningfully in building a more resilient community. We need to support them by providing an enabling environment; changing harmful and unequal power relations and transforming harmful structures and social norms for them to exercise their capabilities.”

Minister Mutsvangwa said collaborations and partnerships were key to promoting gender equality and enhancing disaster resilience.

She said civil society organisations, the private sector, women’s groups, international agencies and the Government shared knowledge, resources and best practices that can bring about inclusive gender transformative disaster risk mitigation strategies. “We need collective efforts to build knowledge, skills and capabilities to create opportunities for people of all genders, to achieve greater impact and build a safer and more inclusive world,” Minister Mutsvangwa said.

“This is a tangible realisation of one of the priorities under the National Development Strategy 1. We stand in solidarity indeed declaring that action is needed now to put women and girls at the centre of disaster risk mitigation to build women’s resilience to climate change.

“If gender inequality in climate change and disaster risk mitigation is not addressed, sustainable outcomes may not be secured. As the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, we are committed to ensuring that gender considerations are at the forefront of our disaster risk management to create a more resilient society that protects and empowers all members of society.”