Women’s role in Disaster Risk Reduction (South Central Asia)

Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe – Daily News (Sri Lanka) – Tues 21 April, 2009

The role of women in peace-building, conflict resolution and reconstruction was recognized in 2000 by UN

Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe

The tsunami of 2004 brought disaster management to the fore as a key national priority. Despite our legal framework recognizing both categories of disasters, natural disasters have occupied most of our attention. Conflict, terrorism and civil strife are sociological disasters which, together with technological diasters, form a vital challenge which threatens not only individual nations but the entire world.

The role of women in peace-building, conflict resolution and reconstruction was recognized in 2000 by the UN Security Council when it adopted the landmark Resolution 1325. It is my view that greater attention need to be paid to women’s potential role in human-made disaster risk reductions especially in relation to sociological disasters.

Community, regional and national level dispute resolution and ethnic integration efforts would benefit enormously from greater participation by women. As Sri Lanka emerges from its long battle with terrorism which we have finally been able to overcome, the role of women in building peace and reconstructing our nation is of vital importance. . .

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