ActionAid’s local partners were among the first on the ground to provide urgent relief following the earthquake. In those critical first days, families who lost everything received urgent food, baby formula, clean water, hygiene kits and medical supplies. Our partners worked quickly to provide 600 people with more substantial shelter after living under nothing but tarpaulin. These new structures use bamboo and palm leaf shades — cooler materials preferred by local communities because of Myanmar’s hot and humid climate.
Creating safe spaces for women
During emergencies, women face a greater struggle for survival and face an increased risk of violence. So a priority for our partners in Myanmar was to ensure safe spaces for women to access mental health care, peer support and workshops.
Mi Mi Tun was one of the first volunteers to arrive at an emergency camp in Mandalay. She shared with us just how important these safe spaces are.
“We came here to help encourage the children – to bring them some joy and help them find strength. Adults feel it too. Everything they had saved up for years and years was destroyed in just a few seconds. Before anything else, it’s their mental and emotional recovery that needs attention. So, part of our role is also to provide that support. Despite everything, there’s this spirit of resilience. This attitude of: we’ll keep going, we will survive this.”
Leaving no one behind
Aye Aye Aung also spoke about the resilience and solidarity of her community, and how it carried them through the aftermath.
“When aid arrived, we made sure no one was left out, especially the elderly and pregnant women. Because we were all suffering through it together. If someone cooked, we all shared it bit by bit. Even just one plate – everyone eats equally. That’s how we survived, by supporting one another.”
A recovery led by women
When women lead in times of crisis, communities are stronger, more prepared, and more resilient. In both Mandalay and Inle, programs are designed with a women-led approach. Women are being actively prioritised in planning and leadership roles, while women-friendly spaces are a key part of the response.
In Mandalay and other affected areas, many households are now led by women after being forced from their homes, or losing male breadwinners. This shapes the way we respond in emergencies, to be more sensitive to women’s roles and needs, emphasise women’s leadership and create safe spaces and support systems for women.
Months on from the earthquake, ActionAid continues to work with local partners across the Sagaing, Mandalay, and Inle regions in Myanmar, to ensure communities have the resources they need to rebuild their lives. Response activities have included:
- Housing support – retrofitting homes damaged by the earthquake, and working with specialists to develop eco-friendly, earthquake and flood resistant housing shelter models.
- Women-friendly spaces – building safe, eco-designed spaces to support women street vendors forced to leave their damaged homes, as well as a space to gather and offer peer support.
- Sanitation – constructing new toilets in impacted communities, plans to improve drinking water systems in three villages
- Psychosocial support – mindfulness training, psychological first aid training, and training master trainers to train others in their communities.
- Livelihood training – working with street vendors on business planning and income generation training, to ensure sustainable livelihoods.
How you can help
Find out more about ActionAid’s women-led approach to emergency response, and how you can support this work through ActionAid’s Arise Fund.