DURYOG NIVARAN- THE SOUTH ASIAN NETWORK FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
Progress Update
Voluntary Commitments of Asia-Pacific Stakeholder Group on Gender Equality and
Women’s Empowerment in DRM and Regional Resilience Building
12/1/2014
This brief note has been developed by Duryog Nivaran on behalf of the ‘Stakeholder Group on Gender Equality
and Women Empowerment in Disaster Risk Management and Regional Resilience Building’ to be shared at IAP,
Bangkok (2-4 December 2014).
Question 1: What specific actions the group took after the 6 AMCDRR towards fulfilling their commitments?
Actions related to evolving HFA2 priorities [towards implementation of the same]
Specific Commitment: SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC) as a member of the Stakeholder Group
will initiate and carry out a pilot/ action research study at national and local levels in one or more countries in
the SAARC1 region, on generation and use of sex and age dis- aggregated data to integrate gender equality and
women’s empowerment issues into disaster risk management and resilience building.
Progress:
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A project concept note titling ‘Piloting gender disaggregation in data collection in 3 countries in South Asia’
drafted and submitted to the SAARC Governing Board for approval in September 2014. (Please see annex
3)
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SDMC is yet to share/confirm the final outcome regarding the approval from the Board.
Specific Commitment:
Mobilize resources to increase awareness and build capacities of the national and local governments to
implement HFA2 and monitor progress from gender perspectives at regional and global levels.
Progress:
The Japanese Women’s Network for DRR is preparing a project proposal to mobilize resources with a broad
range of partners; including the members of the Stakeholder Group, GETI, and other partners. The proposal
will be submitted to JICA, World Bank and ADB
Specific Commitment:
Inform regional and global platforms about the progress against HFA2 targets (outputs) and indicators
(outcomes) (regional/global) on active participation of women in Asia-Pacific
Progress:
Duryog Nivaran as the lead organization and other members of the stakeholder group provided specific and
detailed inputs to the Prep-Com 1, with the AMCDRR outcome documents on the theme of women as leaders
in DRR. Duryog Nivaran recently represented the Women’s Major Group at the Prep-Com 2 at Geneva, and
contributed to the following:
Participated in planning call(s) and email conversations among the WMG to prepare for PrepCom2
Engaged in the development of WMG priorities and advocacy messaging to support policy
recommendations, text edits, drafting of interventions and key messages, and communicating them with
delegates and other stakeholders for the PrepCom2
o provided feedback to drafts shared by WEDO (Women Environment and Development
Organization) and others
o lead on specific areas to ensure that an ambitious and balanced statement is produced for the
WMG
o Contacted ministries in Sri Lanka and shared messaging from the WMG (as appropriate/possible).
Similar contacts in other countries of the region are being made by other members of the WMG.
o Set up meetings with delegates during PrepCom2 (as appropriate/possible)
o Included results on the country mapping document shared with the WMG DRR listserv
Worked with WMG colleagues to reach at shared conclusions and identify urgent and longer term next
steps
Participated in Chair’s dialogue with major groups. (http://www.wcdrr.org/preparatory/prepcom2)
Provided inputs for developing the interventions and indicators.
Shared the WMG messages with the country delegates from New Zealand for lobbying
Committed to share the relevant documents through Duryog Nivaran website/blog and through emails.
The report of the DN representative who participated in Prep-Com 2 is annexed for more information (Annex 1)
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Specific Commitment:
Grassroots level academy to document women’s capacity in DRR and carry out capacity building (Huairou
Commission)
Progress: The Huairou Commission is yet to share the progress in this regard
Specific Commitment:
Advocate Japanese government to carry out actions called for through the Senadi Call to Action on Gender and
Diversity in Disaster Risk Reduction: Towards the post Hyogo Framework for Action (Japanese Women’s
Network for DRR)
Progress:
Japanese Women’s Network for DRR is working in consultation with the Govt of Japan (GoJ) for leading a side
event (with GoJ) at the WCDRR on ‘Women as Leaders in DRR’.
Question 2: What are the impacts the group created through their commitments made in regional platforms?
-
A detailed input on gender and women’s issues was provided on HFA2 zero draft and shared at Prep-Com
2. The relevant documents in this regard are annexed for reference. [(Please see annex 2 (a,b,c,d)]
Resource mobilization efforts are underway with SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC) and
Japanese Women’s Network.
Duryog Nivaran has dedicated its upcoming biennial South Asia Disaster Report (SADR) to Gender
Dimensions and Devolution in Disaster Risk Management. The draft of the report has been prepared and is
being adjusted to capture new developments in this theme.
Question 3: What are the future plans in following up the commitments made by the group?
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The group will continue to lobby with relevant stakeholders, especially the country
delegates/institutions/ministries for endorsement of the group’s messages and input to HFA2 Zero Draft in
the next steps of the negotiations of the HFA2. In this regard the members of the group will be
encouraged to hold meetings in their countries with the said stakeholders.
DEPICHO has launched a call for South Asia. Taking the lead Duryog Nivaran is negotiating with relevant
organizations/networks to apply for this call to pursue the capacity building commitments made by the
Stakeholder Group.
Question 4: What challenges and gaps encountered (or foresee) in fulfilling the stakeholder group’s
commitments?
Especially at the PrepCom2, for instance, it was noted that some of the delegates representing their countries
were in fact staff from their respective embassies. During the lobbying meetings with them, it was observed
that they did not have a clearer understanding of the DRM issues. The ‘gender equality and women
empowerment in DRM and resilience building’, it was noted, was not among their priority issues for HFA2.This
fact is also reflected in official statements made by the delegates from some countries at 6AMCDRR. The
group thus takes it as a major challenge to address.
Question 5: One success story: One concrete example on the impact of the stakeholder groups engagement
and commitment (6th AMC DRR commitments)
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The Stakeholder Group has become part of the Women’s Major Group which is one of the nine groups
working on HFA2.
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The Group has actively contributed to the HFA2 drafts (including in Prep-Com 2) to ensure the key
messages on the theme to be adequately reflected.
SAARC Disaster Management Center, as part of the Stakeholder Group, promptly developed a concept
note in September and presented it to the SAARC Governing Board. Once approved it will be a major
achievement of the group, with the scope to reach out to 8 countries through the actions of the IGO
B) If you have any changes in your group TOR (composition, focal point, roles and responsibilities etc.), kindly
share it.
The lead organization for the SGH remains Duryog Nivaran. Here are changes to the focal points: Mr Abdul
Shakoor Sindhu (Pakistan) and Ms. Ramona Miranda (Sri Lanka)
C) There will be a half day deliberation among the stakeholder groups (tentatively on the first day of the IAP).
Kindly also suggest what issues you collectively like to discuss.
The SHG suggests to discuss:
Turning the commitments into action on the theme Women’s leadership role in DRR in HFA2: strategizing the
response of the Asian Stakeholder Group on Women and Gender issues for HFA2 implementation: mobilization
of human and financial resources; partnerships.
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