LEAVE NO WOMAN BEHIND THIS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

UN Women NC Australia’s 2018 International Women’s Day (IWD) theme is Leave No Woman Behind.

All too often, it is the women who are left behind in times of conflict, disaster or other crises. Sadly, conflict and disasters discriminate. Disasters kill more women than men, and hit women's livelihoods hardest. Trafficking, child marriage, and all other forms of violence against women and girls increase. And sometimes, we discriminate, without giving it a second thought. Take the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004. Threequarters of fatalities were women and girls. Many women died because they couldn't swim or climb trees, which meant that they couldn't escape. Some of the most basic gender inequalities contribute to grave injury and even death. But this inequality is not inevitable. Women and girls are not merely vulnerable victims. They play a key role in increasing resilience of communities in times of crisis. Women's wealth of knowledge and connections are essential, knowing how/when to deliver aid, or understanding who is most at risk of violence shapes services to protect and empower women and girls. When women are around peacemaking tables, we build a more sustainable peace. And women engineer innovation, offering fresh perspectives taking into account the needs of everyone – all the more reason to ensure women are around decisionmaking tables to plan for and respond to crises. When we rely on and incorporate the wisdom of women in emergency planning and response, we get better outcomes, not just for those most vulnerable, but for everybody. This International Women's Day, I call on all of us to turn our attention to the role women play across the globe as agents of change in emergencies. And there is a very simple thing you can do today: in the wake of disaster and the midst of conflict, to reduce risk of violence, text SAFE to 0497 222 444, to donate $5 and give a woman a solar light, to keep her safe.