Women leaders and Women Led Organizations leading in building Disaster Resilience in Malawi

Lilongwe, Malawi- In a bid to bolster the resilience of women and girls in disaster-prone districts of Malawi, the UN, in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Community Development, and Social Welfare, has successfully conducted a four-day Gender in Disaster Risk Management training.. The training, gathered women leaders and representatives from Women-Led Organizations across all three regions of the country.

The training aimed to empower participants with the knowledge and tools to integrate gender into disaster risk management. This is part of the broader Malawi Women’s Resilience to Disasters (WRD) Project that UN Women Malawi is implementing with support from Australian Aid in three districts. The 18-month initiative strives to strengthen women's resilience to natural disasters and threats, including climate change.

 UN Women highlighted the importance of the training as the training is a critical component of the WRD project in Malawi. By building the capacity of women leaders and Women-led Organizations, UN Women aims to create a more gender-responsive approach to disaster risk reduction and believes that empowering women is essential for sustainable, secure, and thriving communities in disaster-prone areas.

The training  utilized an interactive adult learning approach, featuring small-group discussions, role-plays, presentations, quizzes, and hands-on activities. Participants learned how to use gender tools and ensuring that disaster management processes are inclusive for all community members.

One of the women participants, Maggie Mkandawire expressed her gratitude for the training, stating, "This training has been an eye-opener for us. We now have the knowledge and skills to ensure that gender considerations are at the forefront of disaster risk management in our communities. This will make a real difference in building resilience and protecting our most vulnerable members."

The training concluded with participants developing action plans on how to apply their newfound knowledge in practice. As the project unfolds in the disaster-prone districts of Zomba, Blantyre, and Phalombe, the impact of this training is expected to contribute significantly to creating sustainable, secure, and thriving communities in Malawi, even in the face of climate change and natural disasters.