From surviving to leading, women are transforming humanitarian response

Author: Trisha Albay

Bangkok, Thailand — Across Asia and the Pacific, women are rising as leaders in humanitarian action. From climate disasters to protracted crises, women are often the first to respond, mobilizing resources, coordinating relief efforts and caring for the vulnerable. Despite limited resources, security threats and access constraints, they remain at the heart of community resilience.

This World Humanitarian Day, UN Women highlights the stories of two women leaders from Nepal and Thailand whose work is reshaping humanitarian response, ensuring that efforts are more inclusive, effective and grounded in the realities of those most often left behind.

In Nepal’s Sindhupalchok District, Deepika Aryal lived through the devastation of the 2015 earthquake. She lost her home and loved ones in the disaster. Even in those darkest moments, she saw something powerful. Women around her stepped up to organize, care for others and lead their communities through the crisis.

“Women in my community broke cultural taboos to volunteer. They inspired me to step forward,” she recalls.

Her journey continued during the 2021 floods, when she worked with the Women Humanitarian and Disaster Risk Reduction Platform (WHDRRP) to coordinate relief efforts, ensuring that the needs of pregnant and lactating women were not overlooked.

Now, as the Provincial Coordinator for WHDRRP in Bagmati Province, she advocates for responses that reflect the realities of all communities, especially those most often excluded, including pregnant and lactating women, persons living with disabilities and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and other (LGBTQI+) individuals.

Deepika has witnessed that women are often the first to respond in times of crisis. “Their lived experiences give them unique insights into community needs,” she says. But despite this, their representation in formal decision-making remains low, and Aryal believes that changing this is critical.

“Many still see women’s needs as secondary or irrelevant,” she says.

She adds that time poverty is a major barrier. Many women are engaged in unpaid care work or rely on daily wage labour, limiting their ability to join meetings or participate in planning processes.

“You cannot expect women to participate meaningfully unless you address what is holding them back,” she says. “We need strategies that reduce their burden and open space for their voices.”

Through WHDRRP, Aryal mentors other women and pushes for policy changes that support community-based, inclusive disaster planning. Her message to young women is clear: “Leadership is not about waiting for permission. It is about creating space for ourselves and for others.”

In northern Thailand, Nunnaree Luangmoi founded the Center for Girls Foundation, which supports women and children in vulnerable situations. Growing up in a rural community exposed her to inequality and shaped her commitment to creating spaces where women and girls are protected, heard and empowered.

“I encountered girls who had been abused and lacked support, and I myself have faced violence. These experiences became the driving force behind the foundation.”

In addition to its core work protecting and empowering women and children, the foundation also provides humanitarian support in times of emergencies and disasters, such as providing relief and assisting survivors of human trafficking.

She recalls being attacked by a relative of a perpetrator in 2005, after helping a girl who had been assaulted. “But I will never forget the moment she smiled again after being safe. That’s what keeps me going,” she says.

Working in patriarchal settings has not been easy. “Many times, women’s voices are overlooked,” she says. “I chose to build genuine relationships and prove myself through results to open more space for women.”

Her approach is rooted in listening without judgment, building confidence in communities and collaborating with women at every step of the response.

“Women see problems differently,” says Luangmoi. “They bring trust, detail and insight that make humanitarian work more sustainable.”