Women’s Leadership in Disaster Risk Reduction Verified listing

The programme focuses on disaster risk reduction, leadership, inclusive disaster risk planning, the Sendai Framework for Action, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction, community-based disaster risk reduction, gender-inclusive leadership, nature-based solutions, Indigenous and traditional knowledge, local resilience, hazards and assessment tools, communication in disaster risk reduction, vulnerable groups, stress and mental health risks, and lessons from Japan’s experience with natural hazards.

The programme aims to equip 500 participants with lifelong skills in disaster risk reduction and leadership. Participants will develop an inclusive disaster risk reduction plan tailored to the needs of their communities and countries. The programme is divided into two phases. During Phase I, which will run online from August to November 2026, around 500 participants will complete self-paced online modules, attend webinars with experts, and complete assignments while building their understanding of inclusive disaster risk planning.

Top-performing participants from Phase I will be invited to Phase II. Participants from Asia and non-Pacific countries will attend an online workshop in February 2027 featuring specialized lectures and discussions with regional and international institutions, academics, and humanitarian experts. Participants from the Pacific will join an in-person workshop in March 2027 that includes study tours, specialized lectures, and discussions with experts and institutions.

In Phase I, participants will build knowledge of disaster risk reduction concepts, understand the Sendai Framework for Action and the Sustainable Development Goals, explore ecosystem-based and community-based disaster risk reduction, develop an inclusive country disaster risk reduction plan, learn from Japan’s experience with the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and the 2018 West Japan Floods, and examine gender-inclusive leadership together with lessons and challenges related to women’s leadership in the Pacific and Japan.

Phase II will focus on leadership and management skills, technical understanding of hazards and assessment tools, communication for disaster risk reduction and the media, the needs of vulnerable groups, nature-based solutions, Indigenous and traditional knowledge, local resilience, and other risks including stress and mental health.

To be eligible, applicants must be 18 years of age or older, live in or be from eligible Pacific Island countries and territories or Asia-Pacific countries, be eager to learn leadership skills for disaster risk reduction, be passionate about climate change and disaster risk reduction and their impact on communities, be committed to making a positive impact in their communities, be proficient in English, have basic computer skills with internet access, and be committed to completing the programme.

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