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Weather the Storm - Women Prepare
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28 Jul 2012
- Written by VolunteeringQld
Weather the Storm - Women Prepare brought women from local communities together to discuss, plan and support each other to be more prepared for disasters that might threaten the local area.
Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in disasters. While natural disasters such as fire and flood have made headlines, there are many other possibilities. Prolonged loss of electricity, water or food supplies, pollution or chemical spills, pandemics and strike action are all possibilities. Any of these have the potential to seriously impact us at any time. We may become housebound for days, we may be unable to access basic services or food, we may need to evacuate or we may not have a home to live in.
Women, especially those with children, have particular needs and vulnerabilities during and after a disaster. Women also make a unique and vital contribution to preparation and recovery. Being prepared for any and all possibilities – an ‘all hazards’ approach, takes some thought and preparation but even a little bit of both can make a huge difference to a family’s experience of a disaster.
Tal commented that supporting women to become more resilient is a very important endeavour. "Women support their families, friends, neighbours and often the wider community and through ensuring they are well educated and empowered on the issues of disaster preparedness it's possible to build more resilient communities. This program is a great example of best practice community engagement and it has had a significant impact on the participants level of preparedness and their attitude towards disaster resilience.”
Weather the Storm - Women Prepare is a project of the National Rural Women’s Coalition and is funded a by Office for Women, part of the Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.
