Gender in disaster risk reduction and climate resilience: Georgia’s civil sector gains new knowledge

Climate change and disaster risks disproportionately impact women, especially those living in rural areas and from vulnerable groups. Simultaneously, global experience confirms that it is precisely these women who are the drivers of change - who, drawing on their unique experience, knowledge and skills, strengthen community resilience and contribute to disaster risk reduction.

Unfortunately, women’s participation in climate change and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes remains limited in Georgia today. One of the pathways to achieving meaningful change is by enhancing the engagement of civil society - particularly those organizations that already play a vital role in promoting gender equality and empowering communities, yet often lack specific knowledge in the area of disaster risk reduction.

To alter the current reality, UN Women has taken the initial steps towards empowering human rights defenders with the necessary skills and knowledge by conducting a Training of Trainers on gender, disaster risk reduction and climate resilience from 18 to 20 June. Over the three days, up to 30 civil society representatives participated in specialized training. They explored the intersection between gender, disaster risk reduction and climate resilience, gaining insight into relevant global and national framework agreements and mechanisms and their relevance to the Georgian context.

Participants were introduced to tools designed to support the promotion of gender-responsive and inclusive approaches to disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation within their organizations and communities. At the same time, through practical exercises, they explored real-life challenges and discussed the strategies needed to effectively address them.

Tamta Mamulaidze, Manager of the Georgian Farmers’ Association project “Supporting Women Entrepreneurs in Georgia”, was among the participants of the training. As she noted, the knowledge she gained on disaster management and climate change resilience will directly impact the effectiveness of the project: “When women entrepreneurs have essential knowledge and practical tools, they become less vulnerable and are better able to deal with crises with their own resources. The experience gained during the training will enable me, together with my team, to create even stronger and more visible examples of women who are involved in agribusiness on a daily basis. This will not only empower them but also raise awareness about the importance of sustainable and climate-smart approaches.”

In addition to strengthening the knowledge and capacities of participants, the training aims to establish a network of trainers who will work on gender, disaster risk reduction and climate change issues throughout Georgia. One of the key objectives of the network will be to strengthen women’s representation and participation and to connect them with relevant regional and global platforms. With the support of UN Women, a dedicated manual is also being developed to equip civil society representatives with the knowledge, skills and methodologies necessary to enhance the resilience of women and girls at the community level.

The initiative is being implemented within the framework of the UN Women project “Gender in Disaster Risk Reduction” (GDRR). The project, supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), was launched in October 2024 and aims to strengthen the resilience of women and girls to disasters across Georgia.