Soko, our woman trailblazer in disaster management
asiti Soko is a trailblazer. She has certainly stamped her mark in the male-dominated disaster management field.
On Wednesday, she was announced the winner of the inaugural Women’s International Network for Disaster Risk Reduction (WIN DRR) Leadership Awards.
The prestigious award which comes with a cash prize, celebrates women’s achievements in reducing disaster risk in their communities across the AsiaPacific region.
Ms Soko became the first female Director of the Fiji National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) in 2019.
Many media colleagues remember a nervous new Director pushed into the spotlight. Her job was to highlight the dangers at hand but at the same time call for calm and provide direction for those who were threatened. She did well.
Since her appointment Ms Soko has coordinated Fiji’s response to seven tropical cyclones and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
She has not only broken down the invisible glass ceiling in her leadership role, but Ms Soko has also broken-down bureaucratic systems among stakeholders to ensure effective inter-cluster coordination. The focus on resource mobilisation, reporting, information sharing, and inclusion of vulnerable groups were key.
The engagement of private sector partners in emergencies was also instrumental to build an inclusive disaster response network.
Ms Soko holds a strong belief that Government should not have to work alone.
She believed in the collaboration with civil society and other stakeholders before, during and after emergencies. These relationships would enable NDMO effectively assist disaster affected communities.
A notable change during press conferences was the introduction of sign language.
This stemmed from Ms Soko’s experience as cofounder of the MobileMe project with the Fiji Disabled Peoples Federation
Key messages on disasters, building back better, food security and psychological support were more accessible. The expression that ‘no one is left behind’ remains paramount under Ms Soko’s leadership.
About Ms Soko:
She is married to a medical doctor and they have four children.
She values her family and has been able to further her career with their support.
Ms Soko runs a charity that addresses stigma about menstruation called “Veinanumi”
She has a background in geo-science and data analysis and authored the first Pacific Women in Geospatial Science magazine
Her father was in the army and like her, was a first responder.