On International Women’s Day 2025, we celebrate the vital role women play in building resilient communities, particularly in disaster response and recovery, recognizing their ongoing contributions throughout the year. In Bangladesh, where the impacts of climate-related hazards and extreme weather events are increasingly felt, marginalized communities often face unique challenges, such as limited access to resources, inadequate shelter management, lack of privacy, and mobility constraints—issues that often go unaddressed due to the exclusion of women’s voices in disaster planning.

The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), through its Bangladesh Preparedness Partnership (BPP) and in collaboration with the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR) and the Gates Foundation, is empowering women to overcome disaster management challenges. Over a two-week period, from February 10 to 20, a series of training sessions were organized in flood-prone Kurigram, cyclone-prone Bagerhat, and landslide-prone Cox’s Bazar on the operationalization of the Standing Order on Disaster (SOD) 2019. These sessions were conducted for women Disaster Management Committee (DMC) members and DRR practitioners. The operationalization of the SOD is a key objective of the BPP, which emphasizes leadership development training for women to ensure their participation at all levels of disaster risk management

A view of the training session showcasing women actively participating and gaining valuable skills for future leadership in disaster preparedness.

The training, organized by National Alliance of Humanitarian Actors, Bangladesh (NAHAB), equips women in disaster-prone districts with essential skills in disaster risk reduction, gender-responsive early warning systems, shelter management, evacuation strategies, and emergency response. This initiative also reinforced alignment with national disaster policies, particularly the SOD 2019, ensuring more effective preparedness and response efforts.

All women leading a group discussion on operationalizing the SOD, a key objective of BPP, to create an inclusive and gender-responsive approach to disaster management

By empowering women to take leadership roles, BPP is contributing to a more inclusive and sustainable approach to disaster preparedness and response in Bangladesh. This International Women’s Day, we celebrate these efforts and commit to advancing a future where everyone is involved in shaping disaster resilience. Let’s work together to ensure that no one is left behind as we continue to enhance these practices

Mr. Asim Kumar Banik, Deputy Secretary and Member Secretary of the BPP Mobilizing Desk at MoDMR, as well as an expert in disaster management policy, is conducting a session on SOD.