‘Focus on strengthening gender equity in disaster governance and resilience planning’
Senior Correspondent
NewsBits.in
BHOPAL: The Disaster Management Institute (DMI), Government of Madhya Pradesh, in collaboration with UN Women India, successfully convened a State-Level Consultation on Gender-Responsive Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) on June 2 at the DMI campus in Bhopal.
The consultation served as a platform for senior government officials, representatives from Home, Home Guards, Relief commissioner office, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Good Governance and Policy Analysis (AIGGP), forest, MP State Niti Ayog, RSK, Animal husbandry, IMD, DDI, Urban Administration, MPSSS, Revenue, various state departments, civil society organizations (CSOs), and UN agencies to deliberate on strengthening gender equity in disaster governance and resilience planning.
The program commenced with an introductory address by Dr. Sudheer Dwivedi, Joint Director, DMI, highlighting the state’s diverse risk profile and the importance of integrating gender-sensitive approaches into disaster preparedness and management.
Dr. George V. Joseph, Joint Director, DMI, presented a comprehensive programme overview, setting the tone for a day of dialogue and collaborative learning.
In the Special Address, Anil Gulati, Chief of Field Office (a.i.), UNICEF Madhya Pradesh, emphasized the significance of inclusive risk reduction, particularly addressing the needs of women and children during crises.
Joyatri Ray, State Lead of UN Women Madhya Pradesh, reiterated the importance of strengthening gender-disaggregated data systems and elevating the role of women leadership in DRR.
Ashish Bhargava, IAS, Executive Director, DMI, underlined the government’s commitment to mainstreaming gender in disaster risk reduction policies and urged for strengthened inter-departmental coordination.
The first technical session was conducted by Dr. George V. Joseph, who shared an analysis of Madhya Pradesh’s hazard exposure, vulnerability mapping, and institutional capacities, with special focus on high-risk and marginalized populations.
This was followed by a virtual presentation by State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) Odisha, which showcased scalable and community-led disaster resilience models implemented in the state.
Somabha Mohanty, UN Women India made a presentation on the gender dimensions of DRR, opportunities for capacity building at the grassroots, and global policy alignment with the Sendai Framework and PM’s 10-Point Agenda.
UNICEF made a presentation on inclusive and child-sensitive disaster risk strategies and cross-sectoral collaboration.
In the post-lunch session, participants were divided into four thematic working groups focusing on themes like disaster preparedness, disaster response, disaster prevention and mitigation and disaster rehabilitation
Each group assessed their assigned phase through a gender-sensitive lens, identifying gaps in current policies and proposing actionable, inclusive recommendations. The discussions emphasized the integration of women’s voices in planning, the use of gender-disaggregated data, and the importance of inclusive early warning and relief systems.
In conclusion, the participants came out with policy recommendations to integrate gender across state and district-level DRR strategies andidentified actions to improve data systems and local capacity building.
The stakeholders made commitment to promote gender equity, inclusive planning, and institutional coordination in DRR. Also, enhanced partnership among state departments, UN agencies and CSOs was decided upon.
The consultation concluded with group presentations, certificate distribution, and closing remarks, reaffirming the shared vision of building a gender-sensitive, inclusive, and resilient Madhya Pradesh.
