The key role of rural women in building resilience to disasters

Mona S. Chaya

Deputy Strategic Objective Coordinator on Resilience

and Senior Coordinator Food Chain Crises

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Yatta, West Bank and Gaza StripPalestinian farmer woman tending the garden in the backyard of her

home.

Women: building resilience to disasters Effects (impact) of disasters

◦ particularly on women

September 2010, Pakistan, Thul - Floods

Natural disasters, conflict, and other crises, have different impacts on

women, girls, boys and men

In developing countries women comprise 43 percent of the

agricultural labour force

NigerA woman tiling the soil with a small trowel in a vegetable garden

Pakistan, Kot Chutta Rural women harvesting vegetables

Women are key to agriculture and to food and nutrition security

Building resilience:the women of Kanem (Chad)

- Gardening activities have significantly

increased food production for household consumption

Building resilience:West Bank and Gaza Strip

- Investing in the collective

power of women

www.facebook.com/anabta100

Building resilience:West Bank and Gaza Strip

- Taking it a step further

Building resilience:Afghanistan

- Empowering women

to become agents of change

Building resilience:Afghanistan

- Women feel self empowered,

independent and proud

www.fao.org/emergencies

Closing the gender gap understanding how women and men are

affected differently in crisis leads to more effective response

crises can transform gender roles equal opportunities to women in agriculture

Rural women key to building resilience to disasters

www.fao.org/emergencies

understanding how women and men are affected differently in crisis leads to more effective response

crises can transform gender roles closing the gender gap

Rural women key to building resilience to

disasters