BNPB Encourages Women To Be Involved In Efforts To Realize Disaster Resilient

BNPB holds the readiness of disaster management support equipment. (Between)

JAKARTA - Deputy for Prevention of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Prasinta Dewi encourages women to be involved in efforts to create disaster resilience.

This was conveyed by Prasinta in an online webinar followed in Jakarta, Wednesday 27 April. She said that women's resilience can be formed by providing opportunities for women to obtain equal access, capabilities, resources, and equal space.

"Women have the potential to take on an important role in disaster management. This role can be carried out in every stage of disaster management, from pre-disaster, during emergency response, to post-disaster," said Prasinta.

Prasinta said that if women individually or institutionally have this capacity, the level of resilience or resilience will increase. They will easily recognize risks in their environment, be able to adapt, make preparedness plans, make the right decisions, and understand how to save themselves and make quick recovery after a disaster occurs.

"The existence of women's groups in the community is a social capital, which should be able to become a medium for transforming knowledge, skills and disaster information in the women's community that can play a role in disaster risk reduction efforts, through various efforts such as Destana (Disaster Resilient Village) and Katana (Resilient Families). disaster)," he said.

He explained that based on Oxfam's study, for every natural, non-natural disaster, and even social conflict, 61-70 percent of the victims were women and children, as well as the elderly. Including the disability group, because of the lack of access to information implementation and the involvement of women in disaster socialization at the hamlet or village level.

This is also one of the causes of the high number of victims due to disasters.

According to him, the absence of women in disaster education, the lack of knowledge related to disaster prevention and management, has resulted in women being more vulnerable to becoming victims.

The issuance of Regulation of the Head of BNPB number 13 of 2014 concerning gender mainstreaming in the field of disaster management which is an important tool for integrating gender approaches in the field of disaster management.

Prasinta hopes to increase women's participation and strengthen leadership in every stage of disaster management at the level of their respective communities, so that the goal of protecting, saving and reducing risks due to disasters can be realized.