AICHR Philippines Completes Thematic Study on Women Affected by Natural Disasters

Philippine Representative and Chair of the AICHR Leo M. Herrera-Lim receives a copy of AICHR’s thematic study on women affected by natural disasters from Assistant Professor Ma. Lourdes Veneracion-Rallonza of the Political Science Department of the Ateneo de Manila University on 25 July 2017 at the DFA Building in Pasay City.

13 November 2017 - The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) Philippines completed in July 2017 its thematic study on women affected by natural disasters.

Among other things, the study found out that natural disasters tend to increase and multiply the risks of vulnerable groups, such as women, and bring about an extremely difficult circumstance of displacement. Vulnerable groups need immediate and sustained protection as well as the opportunity to participate in deciding on programs that seek to benefit them.

The study involved gathering of data from ten ASEAN Member States (AMS) to build the natural disaster context of the region. The researchers also looked at their existing institutional infrastructure on disaster and emergency preparedness and response, and on how gender has become associated with various instruments and mechanisms in each country such as national laws, policy directives, and/or action plans. The views of non-government actors and women beneficiaries were taken for this thematic study. From these data sources, the study mapped out shared institutional practices on responding to women’s concerns and needs in natural disaster contexts. Likewise, the study identified common areas of concern to build programs that will collectively ensure the human rights of women in difficult situations.

The Political Science Department of the Ateneo de Manila University, the academic partner of AICHR Philippines for the thematic study, conducted field visits in all ten AMS to ensure data accuracy as well as interactions with target respondents. END