Cambodia advances gender-responsive disaster resilience through national policy dialogue
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As climate-related disasters intensify across Cambodia, the country is strengthening its disaster risk reduction efforts with a clear message: resilience cannot be achieved without gender equality.
On 22 January 2026, 88 representatives from government ministries, civil society organizations and local communities convened in Phnom Penh for a national policy dialogue led by the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), with support from UN Women. The dialogue reviewed progress under Cambodia’s National Action Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction 2024–2028 (NAP-DRR), placing gender equality and women’s leadership at the centre of the discussion.
“Cambodia is facing climate-related disasters, but the impacts are not gender-neutral,” said Sorphoarn Sok, Programme Analyst at UN Women Cambodia. “If disaster risk reduction is not gender-responsive, it risks reinforcing inequality and leaving women and marginalized communities even further behind.”
Participants examined how Cambodia’s disaster risk reduction efforts align with international frameworks, including the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and CEDAW General Recommendation No. 37. Both highlight that women are often disproportionately affected by disasters, while also playing essential roles in prevention, preparedness and recovery.
“Progress has been made on institutional capacity-development on gender mainstreaming,” notes Soth Kimkolmony of the NCDM. “Strengthening disaster management information systems, including gender-based data analysis, is helping us better identify the risks and needs of vulnerable groups.”
The dialogue also spotlighted how national commitments are translating into local action.
Chan Kimcheng, a community-based “Women Champion” with ActionAid Cambodia, described how women are supporting preparedness. “We are mobilizing Commune Women and Children Committees and raising awareness among community members about early warning systems and the 1294 hotline,” she said, highlighting how information is reaching households before disasters strike.
Technical support from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs has further strengthened local preparedness. Yun Sina, representing the Joint Action Group, explained that commune contingency plans now integrate gender-sensitive indicators and measures to prevent gender-based violence during emergency evacuations – an often-overlooked risk in crisis settings.
Despite progress, participants agreed that sustained investment is essential to ensure that women’s leadership is fully supported. “We need stronger commitments on budget allocation, greater support for women in decision-making roles, and more investment in girls and young people so they are prepared to lead in the future,” said Yun.
Youth representative Yieng Manich highlighted the importance of safe and inclusive participation. “Women need to feel safe to participate,” she said. “That means psychological safety, family support and stronger networks where women can support one another.”
Accessibility was also raised as a practical priority, including infrastructure that meets the needs of pregnant women and persons with disabilities.
For UN Women, the dialogue marked an important step towards gender-transformative disaster risk reduction that places women’s rights, leadership and protection at its core.
“Women are not only affected by disasters; they are also leaders in resilience,” said Sorphoarn. “From community preparedness to early warning response, women are already driving solutions. Their leadership must be recognized, supported and adequately resourced.”
As Cambodia continues to confront the realities of climate change, the dialogue reinforced that disaster risk reduction is not only about infrastructure and emergency response, but also about rights and protection, ensuring women and girls can access safety and services before, during and after a crisis so that no one is left behind.