Cambodia discusses plans to localize the global Sendai Gender Action Plan

Phnom Penh, Cambodia – UN Women, in partnership with Cambodia’s National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) and Ministry of Women’s Affairs, organized the first national multi-stakeholder dialogue discussing how the newly launched Sendai Gender Action Plan (GAP) can be adapted in Cambodia.

The global Sendai GAP was launched in March 2024 on the margins of the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) in New York. The launch came nine years after the adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. The Gender Action Plan will support governments and other stakeholders to reduce the negative impacts of gender discrimination and inequality in disasters.

During the dialogue last 12 June 2024, over 80 representatives from the Government, civil society and development partners explored the specific challenges and opportunities in mainstreaming gender in disaster risk reduction in the country.

Maria Holtsberg, Deputy Regional Director Officer-in-Charge at UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, emphasized that “the dialogue is a promising and transformative step to concretely discuss how disaster risk reduction work can meaningfully integrate gender as an integral aspect and can efficiently ensure that women, girls and vulnerable group has the capacity to prepare, response and recover.”

H.E. Hang Samoeun, Senior Minister and Vice President of the National Committee for Disaster Management of the Kingdom of Cambodia, stated in his opening remarks that “Cambodian people are negatively affected by disasters, especially vulnerable groups such as women and children. Thus, the Royal Government of Cambodia has paid great attention to integrating gender in disaster management.” He has also expressed appreciation for the joint work of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and NCDM to ensure that the most vulnerable and at-risk populations are given priority in disaster management.

H.E. Sivan Botum, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, noted that “the dialogue serves as a progressive milestone for the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, as a member of the NCDM and as a national mechanism for gender-transformative action.” H.E. Botum also added that she is positive that the dialogue will allow stakeholders to provide sectoral-based input, adding value to gender-transformative disaster management.

The discussions from the dialogue will stimulate further joint commitments toward gender-transformative disaster risk reduction in Cambodia, including the potential development of a national gender action plan and effective localization of the Sendai Gender Action Plan.

This initiative is supported by UN Women and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) through the EmPower: Women for Climate-Resilient Societies Programme (EmPower). Supported by the Governments of Germany, New Zealand, Sweden and Switzerland, EmPower is dedicated to empowering women and marginalized groups to take the lead in building climate-resilient communities. For more information, visit www.empowerforclimate.org.