As the climate crisis, disasters and conflict drive the largest setback in gender equality in decades, sustainable and long-term investment in women’s leadership at all levels of crisis response is critical. This type of programming can have a transformational impact in preparing communities for crises and advancing women’s rights. In Vanuatu, the first country the Arise Fund invested in, we have seen this transformational change in women’s lives. During the twin cyclones in March 2023, the Women I Tok Tok Tugeta (WITTT) Network led efforts to alert communities to the cyclones reaching 40 percent of the population and averted widespread loss of life. Additionally, members of the WITTT Network were invited to be part of government’s Emergency Operations Centre.
From Ukraine to The Philippines, Indonesia to Syria, and Vanuatu to Kenya, ActionAid’s Arise Fund has supported women to lead disaster preparedness and response, and ensured women’s organisations have the resources they need before, during and after an emergency.
To date, we have trained 36,081 women in 22 countries in emergency preparedness and response and reached over 3.8 million people worldwide.
Together, we can tip the scales and shift a trajectory that is holding back progress for women and girls.