For All Women and Girls: Tekle Bregvadze on Women’s Participation and Role in Disaster Risk Reduction

First Steps in Activism

Tekle Bregvadze, a lawyer by profession, also serves as a student ombudsperson at Alte University, where she advocates for students’ rights. Beyond her professional activities, Tekle is deeply interested in climate change and the crucial role women play in disaster risk reduction.

When she was 21, she joined the General Mazniashvili Youth Legion as a volunteer and completed basic military training. There, she discovered how dedication and unity can save lives in times of crisis.

“During one of the projects, while working with internally displaced and conflict-affected women, I saw clearly—through their stories and experiences—how effectively women can manage crises. Whether identifying risks or protecting their families and communities, women demonstrate leadership at every stage. They are often the first to recognize danger and confront it without fear, thinking rationally and taking responsibility for the safety of their families, children and communities. In times of crisis, they focus not only on survival but also on organization and recovery efforts. Most importantly, women show remarkable solidarity in such situations”, says Tekle, who continues to highlight this crucial role.

Inspired by those and other experiences, she came up with the idea of creating her own organization. A year later, she and three young women she met in the Legion founded the Women’s National League. The League utilizes training sessions and educational initiatives to promote engaging women and children in national defence and civil security issues.

No Real Progress Can Be Achieved Without Women

There is growing recognition of the importance of highlighting women’s roles and supporting their participation in reducing climate-related and other disaster risks. As Tekle notes, women’s involvement can lead to progress in many areas, from community organization to household decision-making. As members of families and communities, even the smallest decisions they make play a critical role in strengthening community resilience and crisis readiness.

“It is also important for women to be involved in political processes, as they are often the ones who bring the needs of children, older people and other groups to the public agenda, ensuring that these needs are reflected in disaster risk reduction strategies. In addition, women are highly effective in uniting communities and fostering cooperation—an essential factor in addressing the challenges posed by climate change”, Tekle notes.

Despite their vital roles and potential, women continue to face numerous challenges. They remain underrepresented in decision-making processes, and their perspectives and experiences often go unrecognized. Women also have limited access to the resources and funding necessary to implement relevant projects, and persistent sociocultural norms continue to hinder the recognition of their contributions.

Tekle believes that addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive approach: “It is necessary to develop training and mentoring programmes that help women acquire the knowledge and skills they need. Increasing women’s access to funding is also important. Nevertheless, the success of these efforts ultimately depends on political will to ensure that women are adequately represented in decision-making processes with real authority. Raising public awareness is equally essential. If society does not recognize that climate change affects everyone differently and that women’s involvement is vital, achieving real progress will be impossible”.

Platforms for Exchanging Local and International Experiences

She regularly organizes educational meetings and awareness-raising campaigns. With financial support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and under the UN Women Gender in Disaster Risk Reduction project, she has been conducting a series of trainings on Strengthening Community Capacities for Gender-Responsive Disaster Risk Reduction.

She also participates in international events. For example, in collaboration with UN Women, she was able to share Georgia’s experiences at the 8th Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, which took place in Geneva in June 2025. As a member of the youth working group at the Platform, her participation led to the development of the Children and Youth Declaration on Strengthening Resilience for a Sustainable Future.

“For me, this experience has been a source of great strength. It convinced me that women can serve both as agents of change and as unifiers. My participation in drafting the declaration represented another step toward amplifying our voices”.

Achievements and Challenges of the Beijing Declaration

Reflecting on the progress made in the 30 years since the Beijing Declaration was adopted, Tekle notes that significant advancements are visible in the context of climate change. It is now widely recognized that the impacts of climate change affect populations unevenly, with women often among the most vulnerable.

“However, stagnation is evident in the unequal distribution of resources and the exclusion of women from political decision-making. The Beijing Declaration is not a finished business; on the contrary, it is a living instrument that requires continuous renewal and adaptation to new contexts, including those related to climate change”.

For All Women and Girls

Tekle emphasizes that women are not merely a vulnerable group in times of crisis; they are active and essential participants in management processes. “You have the strength and leadership qualities essential for building a sustainable and safe world”, she says, addressing all women and girls.