National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in partnership with United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and UNICEF Pakistan, held Pilot Training on Gender-Responsive Implementation of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR), in Islamabad, on February 14, 2023 which shall continue till 16 February 2023.

In line with the multi-sector approach outlined in the Sendai Framework, the key target audience were government officials and representatives from National and Provincial Disaster Management Authorities, (NDMA and PDMAs); Federal & provincial chapters of Commission on the Status of Women Planning and Development (P&D), Women Development and Social Welfares Departments, Rescue 1122, NESPAK, Geological Survey of Pakistan, Federal Flood Commission, Planning Commission and SUPARCO. 

The SFDRR is the global blueprint for Disaster Risk Reduction and reinforces the shift from managing disasters to managing risk, and also establishes resilience-building as a shared vision of the 2030 Agenda. The overarching objective of the Pilot Training was to strengthen Pakistan’s ability to implement the SFDRR, in a way that promotes and supports gender equality.

The training was organized by NDMA, recognizing that effective DRR requires meaningful and diverse participation, engagement and leadership, through an inclusive and accessible, all-of-society approach.

Addressing the participants at the Opening Ceremony of the training workshop, Chief Guest Ms. Romina Khurshid Alam, Member National Assembly of Pakistan and Convener of the Parliamentary SDG Task Force, highlighted the fact that Pakistan was the first country to adopt SDGs 2030 agenda through a unanimous resolution of the Parliament of Pakistan. She further mentioned that the SDG Secretariat was established in the National Assembly of Pakistan in 2016 and since then the Parliamentary Task Force for SDGs is working on achieving 17 sustainable development goals in the country, including Goal number 5: Gender Equality. 

Speaking about the importance of law and policy, she stressed on embedding gender equality across all institutional processes and legal systems in the country to prevent gender discrimination in disasters.

Chairman, NDMA, Lt. General Haider Inam Malik thanked UNDRR, and NDMAs long-standing partner UNICEF for their whole-hearted support in executing the Pilot Training in Pakistan.  He thanked the international trainers for their commitment to build the capacities of government officials in Pakistan. 

Moreover, he urged the participants and officials from Federal and Provincial Government Departments to take full benefit of the platform to develop their understanding in adopting an all-inclusive approach in disaster risk reduction and management for the vulnerable segments of the society. Underscoring the context of growing climate change inequalities that adversely impact vulnerable groups, Chairman NDMA, said that building the resilience of communities through an all-inclusive, participatory approach is key to effectively manage disaster risk.