Written by Rehab Al-Sanabani, Gender Specialist, Bureau for Policy and Programme Support and Ioana Creitaru, Programme Specialist, Crisis Bureau

Not everyone experiences crises the same way.  Disasters, conflict, or fragility often worsen the existing gender inequalities in our societies. As crises are increasingly impacting communities, inclusive recovery efforts are essential. A key to building forward better is tapping into an often-overlooked resource: women’s leadership and gender equality.  UNDP’s work, guided by the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, highlights that gender equality isn’t just an afterthought. It’s the foundation for sustainable recovery and resilient development. 

How gender equality drives resilience building and recovery 

Gender equality and women’s leadership are vital for long-term resilience. When women are included in decision-making, recovery and peacebuilding efforts are more comprehensive and lead to better social and economic outcomes. 

UNDP’s Gender Equality Strategy 2022-2025 underscores that gender equality is central to achieving inclusive, equitable, and sustainable development outcomes, particularly in crisis and post-crisis contexts. The strategy advocates for the integration of gender-responsive approaches across all areas of resilience-building and recovery. 

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, women-led organizations have been instrumental in advocating for climate justice, ensuring that marginalized communities are included in resilience-building strategies. In Türkiye, gender-responsive recovery initiatives after the devastating 2023 earthquakes prioritized women’s economic empowerment and protection during reconstruction. Similarly, in Syria, where over a decade of conflict has severely disrupted social and economic stability, women have become crucial actors in community resilience, spearheading local initiatives that provide essential services, facilitate social cohesion, and drive inclusive recovery efforts. In Armenia, grassroots women leaders have strengthened disaster risk reduction (DRR) in their neighbourhoods, directly improving community resilience. 

Tackling structural barriers

Despite the clear benefits of women’s leadership, structural barriers still remain. Women’s voices are often marginalized in critical decision-making processes related to peace, security, and recovery.

Addressing these barriers requires a concerted effort, and UNDP is leading by:

• Strengthening gender-responsive policies and institutions that promote resilience-building: UNDP supports national authorities to integrate gender equality into DRR strategies, frameworks, and governance processes at every stage from prevention, early warning – early action, and preparedness to mitigation recovery and reconstruction.  One such example is in Armenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, where UNDP supported the development of gender-responsive DRR strategies that not only protect, but empower women as leaders in disaster prevention, response, and recovery.
• Integrating gender equality into post-crisis recovery interventions: UNDP supports national and local authorities in designing recovery interventions that address the different needs, capacities, and roles of women, men, girls, and boys. In Syria, following the 2023 earthquake, women’s networks were pivotal in recovery efforts. Women-led groups helped rebuild essential services and strengthened disaster preparedness, while fostering social cohesion and engaging men in the process, ensuring communities are better equipped to handle future risks.
• Building women’s economic resilience in recovery: UNDP’s programmes prioritize women’s access to livelihood opportunities in post-crisis reconstruction and rehabilitation. In 2023 alone, UNDP supported over 4.7 million women to gain jobs and improve livelihoods in crisis and post-crisis settings. In Türkiye, UNDP’s recovery initiatives after the devastating 2023 earthquake focused on helping women restore their livelihoods and access opportunities in the green economy. Similarly, in Burundi, UNDP supported over 200,000 women through microcredit programs and financial skills training, helping them secure land ownership and build economic resilience.
• Promoting women’s readership in decision-making: UNDP actively promotes women’s leadership in decision-making processes in disaster risk reduction and recovery, particularly at community levels. Last year, UNDP worked in 43 countries to increase women’s leadership and equal participation in public and private institutions, ensuring women have a voice in decision-making. An example of this in practice can be found in Armenia, where women leaders have played a key role in driving inclusive risk assessment to inform local development and recovery planning within their communities. 
• Strengthening the engagement of civil society: UNDP actively works with civil society organizations, particularly women-led organizations, to strengthen resilience building and recovery efforts. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, UNDP has supported advocacy for gender justice in climate action and disaster risk reduction, ensuring that women’s leadership and participation are central to development planning and climate finance initiatives. The Feminist Coalition for Climate Justice focuses on building resilience, promoting environmental governance, and ensuring women’s equitable access to climate finance and decision-making platforms.

The path forward

Women’s leadership and gender equality are essential for building resilient societies. By addressing structural barriers, challenging gender norms, and empowering women economically, UNDP is helping create inclusive resilience-building and post-crisis recovery processes that benefit entire communities. 

To commemorate the 2024 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, UNDP hosted an online event focusing on the role of gender equality and women’s leadership in resilience-building and recovery, featuring examples UNDP’s work in Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Syria, and Türkiye. Reflecting on UNDP’s work in crisis and post-crisis settings, the event emphasized the vital role of local women-led organisations in ensuring recovery efforts meet the different needs, capacities, and roles of women, men, girls, and boys. It also highlighted the importance of gender analysis to tackle existing inequalities, and the need to change societal norms and reform institutional frameworks so women can lead effectively.  

To learn more about how UNDP advances resilience-building and recovery through gender equality and women’s leadership, you can watch the online event here.