Nepal is one of the 20 most disaster-prone countries in the world. Unequal access to and control over resources by women also add to Nepal's vulnerability. Rautahat district faces many hazards every year, such as floods, fire, epidemics, and cold waves. Floods displace more than 756 families temporarily each year. Women are considered the most vulnerable group in disaster situations due to several factors, such as illiteracy, poverty, lack of awareness, social taboos, domestic and other violence, lack of access to and control over resources, low influence and decision-making capacity and so on. Disaster risk reduction, as a multi-hazard approach, is directly linked to community resiliency. It covers all aspects of development identified by local communities. With the objective of empowering women for leadership skills in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA), via the Nepal Red Cross Society, we established six Women Empowerment Centers (WEC) in the Village Development Committees (VDCs). The project has equipped them with several training inputs. WEC members have had several tangible achievements by mobilizing community people in the sector of disaster management and by coordinating with other agencies for the technical expertise they need.
Aryal, K
Women's Empowerment in Building Disaster Resilient Communities
Asian Journal Of Womens Studies