Research Brief on Women’s Leadership and Participation in Addressing Conflict Risks and Promoting Disaster Preparedness

The impacts of multiple, overlapping crises arising from climate change, pandemics and conflict disproportionately affect women, exacerbate existing inequalities and deepen power imbalances. In contexts where disasters and conflict risks intersect, responses need to recognize that women perform various roles in disaster and conflict prevention, have access to different information and services, and are impacted differently — yet they are overwhelmingly excluded from decision-making processes and mechanisms.

To advance common outcomes across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, UN Women conducted a scoping study in three Southeast Asian countries (Indonesia, Philippines and Viet Nam) on opportunities to use gender-responsive strategies and approaches to address conflict and security risk factors and disaster preparedness in a more integrated way.

The scoping study confirmed that disaster and conflict interact in complex ways and that an integrated lens is crucial in certain contexts where disaster, conflict or security risks are present. It identified a number of key barriers as well as entry points and recommendations for the achievement of a more consistent, integrated and inclusive approach to gender mainstreaming across disaster and conflict risk management.