Celene is a person with disability living in Vanuatu. She was appointed the lead of her Community Disaster and Climate Change Committee. “In every community, there’s always someone living with a disability. That’s why it’s important to have women in CDCCC—because mothers have a beautiful heart to listen to them and better assist.”

“Updating our population data list is crucial to avoid repeating the same mistakes in future distributions.” Read how one Ni-Vanuatu woman’s understanding of data is ensuring no-one is being left behind.

For men who have grown up in traditional communities, childcare and household chores are seen as the sole responsibility of women. But a program targeting fathers of young children in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, is encouraging men to rethink their long-held beliefs, and to understand the positive impact their involvement can have on gender equality and child development.

In a world where equality is still a distant goal, Abdulrahman and Habib, two dedicated Lebanese fathers, are championing gender equality and fighting gender-based violence in their communities.

Inter-gender dialogues in Lebanon are bringing adolescent girls and boys together to discuss the norms underpinning gender inequality, for a more equal future.

With support from the Disaster READY program, Anita can now train others on how to identify risks caused by climate change.

“It has really made it easier for someone like me to have a bank account,” Rita said. “It’s also the first time for me to receive cash.” Read how cash and voucher assistance through Disaster READY is transforming the lives of women with disabilities.

Nur Mohammad and his wife Mariam grew up in traditional Rohingya households, where the roles of men and women were rigidly defined. After attending workshops supported by AHP and World Vision, they are changing norms at home and in their community.

WITTT Sunshine has grown from a membership of three in 2018, to a network of 600 women with disability in Vanuatu. The group now plays an integral role in women-led, local, disability-inclusive disaster response.

Sayed Alam didn’t realise just how much attending Community-Based Child Protection Committee meetings, supported by AHP, had changed his views until he found out that his son had eloped with a girl. He acted quickly to stop the marriage.

After Madalena received support through Disaster READY, she realised that she was in a position to help other women in her community.

Oxfam is working with men and boys to end violence against women and girls in Rohingya communities living in camps in Bangladesh, with the support of AHP.

Increasing the number of girls and women in the classroom, both among students and as teachers, has been one of the aims of the AHP Education in Emergencies response in Myanmar. 19-year-old Yamin Khin now has the opportunity to work as an Assistant Volunteer Teacher at the same learning centre where she studied.

Sajeda, a Rohingya mother of four living in Cox’s Bazar, was a victim of child marriage. Motivated by her own experience and the negative outcomes she saw for other child brides, she volunteers as part of an AHP-supported committee to end the practice in her community.

In Iraq, AHP partners are working to build more inclusive communities so that everyone is afforded the same opportunities. Sonya’s doctor told her she needed to exercise to help her overcome her illness, but in her small community in Sinjar, women were not able to access gyms. Read what the Building Peaceful Futures project did to change this…

The opportunity to start a sewing business has helped Warda, 23, support her family after years of displacement due to conflict in Iraq.

In Teknaf, Bangladesh, adolescent boys and girls are usually not allowed to learn together or socialise. But an AHP-supported youth club is challenging gender stereotypes while increasing access to education.

Women Friendly Spaces can provide women with much needed respite and support in humanitarian situations. However, community attitudes and suspicion must be sometimes overcome before some women can safely join.

In Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, CARE has been working to overcome some of these barriers for Rohingya refugees, ensuring the women have somewhere to gather, seek information and find refuge among each other. 

Disaster READY partners in the Solomon Islands are looking to improve gender and social inclusion capacity within their own organisations so that that they can better support the local organisations and communities they are working with.