The
response to natural disasters focuses
on providing assistance and protection
to people: women, girls, boys and men,
during the most traumatic moments in
their lives. Yet the needs, concerns,
priorities, constraints and capacities
vary from one group to the other, and
according to the socio-cultural
context. In fact, it has been proved
globally that responses to emergencies
cannot achieve their objectives if the
needs, constraints, interests and
priorities of women, men, boys and
girls are not well understood. These
priorities if not emphasized can
create a vacuum between the relief,
reconstruction and rehabilitation
process and practice.
Chairman ERRA Mr Altaf Muhammad Saleem
in his opening remarks reaffirmed the
commitments of ERRA to gender
equality. He said that the overarching
efforts of ERRA in establishing eight
district gender networks has guided
interaction for enhancing public and
professional understanding of
inter-relationship of gender and
development and its importance in
rehabilitation and reconstruction
activities. These 8 networks have
served as an alternate sharing
mechanism for women and men from
different
organizations/sectors/regions to learn
from each other.
The participation in the networks of
district official’s from line
departments and civil society
organizations based in earthquake
affected areas reflect their readiness
to build synergies and alliances on
the crucial theme of gender equality
in the October 2005 earthquake
response.
More importantly the presentations
today by PERRA, SERRA, Ibn-i-Sina
Afghanistan, NRSP and BSR consulting
reflect the lessons learnt and
outcomes of networking processes in
the bi-monthly network meetings,
dialogue forums on
gender and health or gender and
education and research on economic
opportunities for women.
By sharing organizational gender
practices about ‘what worked and what
did not’ facilitated dialogue spaces
which demonstrated how a small amount
of project funding can sustain a
strategic intervention. Also the
deliberations highlighted how
networking can be a bridge connecting
policy makers and communities.
The networking conference on gender
equality today is the culmination of
the ERRA/UNIFEM Project. The
representatives from donors including
UNIFEM, UNICEF, WHO, GTZ etc. and also
of the top policy makers and senior
decision makers from AJK and NWFP like
Minister of Social Welfare and Women
Development Departments AJK and NWFP
and key Federal, Province and State
government officials were also
present.
Alice Shackelford, Country Programme
Director, UNIFEM in her concluding
remarks said that the ERRA/UNIFEM
project has essentially supported
gender mainstreaming interventions as
it demonstrated what is feasible and
opened new avenues, including
strengthening capacity through mutual
sharing and learning , an alternative
or complementary approach to
traditional training sessions.
After attending the event, the
participants were appreciative of ERRA
Gender Management Team consisting of
Ms Fareeha Umer.
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