This year, women from around the Philippines shared their voices at the first National Womenitarian Summit.
Thanks to your support, and in collaboration with the National Rural Women Coalition (PKKK), community activists called upon their leaders to prioritise women’s needs in crises. Over 150 women from across the country assembled to voice their concerns. All majorly impacted by climate disasters and gender injustice.
Key speakers at Womenitarian Summit in Manila
The Philippines is hit by nearly thirty typhoons a year. When disasters happen, women are worst impacted. Women face a greater struggle for survival and an increased risk of violence due to a lack of resources and support. Women rarely have opportunities to lead the response and are often left out of decision making. With disasters occurring more frequently due to climate change, women are facing those impacts in their daily lives.
Natividad Sales is experiencing this first hand. Her farming community has been suffering from drought due to more frequent climate disasters. Natividad noted, “due to climate change, the farmers are struggling – our crops and plants are damaged.”
ActionAid is supporting women in farming communities such as Natividad to adapt to climate change. We’re providing training on new farming methods, educating women on their rights and building their leadership capacity. Natividad and other women in her community are now raising their voices, claiming their rights, and finding alternative sources of income.
Since 2015, your generosity has helped over 6,000 women in the Philippines. They’re building their resilience to ensure their rights are protected when disasters strike.
At the summit, activists like Natividad talked about changes in policies with Filipino candidates that would help to empower women. Activists challenged the candidates to uphold women’s rights in the face of climate change. By the end of the Summit, the attendees worked together and created their own policy recommendation. They will be presenting it to the Filipino government later this year.
When women are empowered to lead through events like the National Womenitarian Summit, emergencies and climate crises can help create positive social change. Women leaders are important in emergency response. They ensure everyone in their community is protected, create new spaces for women to have their needs met and voices heard. Taking important steps towards gender equality.
Natividad says,“women should be leaders because they have the right to lead. We are aware of our rights, and we also have talents and skills that men do not have”.
Thanks to passionate supporters like you, women like Natividad are raising their voices and having their leadership recognised on a national stage.
Together, we are ensuring that women are claiming their rights and leading the response to disasters. Thank you!