Gender-impact flash update: Myanmar Earthquake

On Friday 28 March 2025, central Myanmar was struck by two powerful earthquakes, causing widespread destruction. A 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit near Mandalay and Sagaing at around 12:50 PM local time. Minutes later, a second quake measuring 6.4 struck further south.

Even before the earthquake, more than a third of Myanmar’s people—including 10.4 million women and girls—needed urgent humanitarian aid. The earthquakes add another layer of hardship as they face unsafe conditions, disrupted health services, and heightened risks of gender-based violence and exploitation—especially for girls separated from their families.

This Gender-Impact Flash Update was developed by the Gender in Humanitarian Action Working Group (GiHA WG) in Myanmar to provide insights into the specific impacts of the earthquake on women and girls, and their urgent needs.

Prioritizing the safety, dignity, and leadership of women and girls is essential to ensuring an effective, inclusive response that leaves no one behind.