To strengthen women's resilience to disasters, make the wealthiest pay their fair share

The Op-Ed by our Executive Director Magdalena Sepúlveda, has been echoed in several media outlets worldwide.

In a new editorial on International Women's Day, our Executive Director Magdalena Sepúlveda once again raises awareness by highlighting how gender inequality exacerbates the impact of disasters. Taking as an example the recent earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey, she tells us about the case of Aya, a baby found in the rubble, whose mother did not survive. With this example, Sepúlveda demonstrates that natural disasters “are not gender-neutral, especially in developing countries. Evidence shows that women and girls die in greater numbers and have different and uneven levels of resilience and capacity to recover. Of the 230,000 people killed in the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, for example, 70% were women”.

It therefore urges states to take immediate and long-term action to invest as a priority in universal access to health care, water and sanitation, education, social protection and infrastructure for gender equality and the full enjoyment of women's human rights.

Magdalena is also member of the Independent Commission on International Corporate Tax Reform (ICRICT). Between 2008-2014 she was the United Nations Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights.

This Op-Ed has been echoed by 27 media outlets of 23 countries and in 6 languages.

8 March 2023 - Social Europe (UK) - How to strengthen women’s resilience to disasters. Op-Ed by our ED Magdalena Sepúlveda on International Women’s Day.

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