• News
    • Latest news
    • News search
    • Health
    • Finance
    • Food
    • Career news
    • Content series
    • Try Devex Pro
  • Jobs
    • Job search
    • Post a job
    • Employer search
    • CV Writing
    • Upcoming career events
    • Try Career Account
  • Funding
    • Funding search
    • Funding news
  • Talent
    • Candidate search
    • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Events
    • Upcoming and past events
    • Partner on an event
  • Post a job
  • About
      • About us
      • Membership
      • Newsletters
      • Advertising partnerships
      • Devex Talent Solutions
      • Contact us
Join DevexSign in
Join DevexSign in

News

  • Latest news
  • News search
  • Health
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Career news
  • Content series
  • Try Devex Pro

Jobs

  • Job search
  • Post a job
  • Employer search
  • CV Writing
  • Upcoming career events
  • Try Career Account

Funding

  • Funding search
  • Funding news

Talent

  • Candidate search
  • Devex Talent Solutions

Events

  • Upcoming and past events
  • Partner on an event
Post a job

About

  • About us
  • Membership
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising partnerships
  • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Contact us
  • My Devex
  • Update my profile % complete
  • Account & privacy settings
  • My saved jobs
  • Manage newsletters
  • Support
  • Sign out
Latest newsNews searchHealthFinanceFoodCareer newsContent seriesTry Devex Pro
    • Opinion
    • Women's History Month

    Resilience in the face of crisis: Women taking the lead

    How can the global development community help strengthen the resilience of local organizations and people, especially women, to respond to the disasters that hit vulnerable communities? Oxfam America's Ray Offenheiser and PRO-VIDA's Karen Ramirez explore which collaborations work.

    By Ray Offenheiser, Karen Ramirez // 17 March 2016
    Ramírez holds meetings with community members to get feedback on PRO-VIDA’s food voucher program and to help them make plans to face the ongoing El Nino crisis. Photo: James Rodriguez / Oxfam America

    When life-threatening disasters strike, both local communities and global aid organizations respond, bringing their unique resources and skills to the effort. Local leaders play a key role, but often they don’t have the tools to respond as robustly as they wish.

    Last week’s International Women’s Day presented an opportunity for groups such as Oxfam and PRO-VIDA to advocate for the needs of women on the front lines of humanitarian emergencies and renew our call for a major shift in the international humanitarian system. They need critical resources to play that role effectively.

    Every day we work with strong women who are leaders in vulnerable communities and must be prepared should a disaster strike. Our shared vision is one where communities advocate for their own needs and are able to elect responsible governments that lead the efforts to reduce disaster risks and best protect their communities. The international humanitarian relief organizations — such as the United Nations, Oxfam and many others — must supplement, not interfere with, these efforts.

    Examples initiatives: What works

    “When women can exercise their rights and gain the knowledge, skills, and information they need, they can become powerful agents of change.”

    — Oxfam America's Ray Offenheiser and PRO-VIDA's Karen Ramirez

    One new approach to balance the distribution and deployment of life-saving resources is the STRIDE For Self Reliance Act, which we were lobbying for together recently on Capitol Hill. This act will give the U.S. government the flexibility to directly fund country-based disaster preparedness initiatives.

    The STRIDE Act will strengthen the resilience of local organizations and people, especially women, to respond to smaller disasters on their own. This will free valuable international humanitarian aid for the most devastating disasters that require major international support.

    It emphasizes the needs of women and girls, who are among the most vulnerable in crises, and requires that women be consulted during the process.

    This piece is vital, because when women can exercise their rights and gain the knowledge, skills, and information they need, they can become powerful agents of change. Women are the foundation of their families and communities — adapting, sacrificing and taking the lead to meet their loved ones needs. Therefore, they must be central in any plan to prepare for and prevent emergencies, or respond when they strike.

    Successful collaborations

    Read related stories:

    ► In drought-stricken Somaliland, climate change threatens pastoralists

    ► 4 myths about working on climate change in global development

    ► Maternal health issues 'aren't finished yet' — and neither is Jill Sheffield

    ► Barbara Bush: Global health needs 'systems thinkers'

    Oxfam and PRO-VIDA are working closely together in El Salvador, providing urgent aid to communities that are right now facing multiple challenges: El Nino’s irregular weather patterns have caused drought, floods and food shortages.

    El Salvador is historically prone to natural disasters and man-made disasters, but this is now a global trend. In the past two decades the total number of natural disasters has quadrupled, and the number of people affected has increased from around 174 million to an average of more than 250 million a year.

    The Zika virus is now also spreading across the country, threatening a public health crisis. Oxfam and PRO-VIDA are providing immediate relief through efforts such as food voucher programs and are also helping communities become more resilient to future extreme weather events through projects such as flood-resistant latrines. We are also working together as part of the WASH Subcommission, a coalition of government and civil society representatives to educate and prevent the spread of the Zika virus.

    Oxfam and PRO-VIDA could separately provide these services, but together, the work is so much stronger. Where Oxfam may have the international reach and access to resources, organizations like PRO-VIDA are firmly rooted in the hardest-hit communities, know what the needs are, and understand how to most efficiently meet the needs of those in distress.

    ‘Owning’ a project

    Local groups are also more accountable and accessible to the communities they serve. Working side by side, we can ensure families are able to access healthy food, clean water and other necessities today, and that they have the capacity to handle the next crisis on their own. This emphasis on preparing communities before disasters strike is vital and yet completely underfunded; only 0.4 percent of global humanitarian aid over the past 30 years has been spent on reducing the risk of disasters.

    Over the past 10 years, PRO-VIDA has taken ownership of programs to provide clean water and sanitation in emergencies, a job once dominated by international aid agencies. Over this time, it has helped the government better understand international humanitarian standards and adhere to them. In addition, PRO-VIDA has opened the lines of communication between people who face the worst impacts of disasters and the authorities that are responsible for supporting them.

    Our international humanitarian system must be drastically overhauled in this way to meet the stark realities of the world today. The STRIDE Act is one important step in the right direction. For Women’s History Month, we are renewing our call for the power to be placed where it should be — in the hands of local leaders — so they can be ready to respond immediately, recover quickly, and rebuild successfully. And be even more resilient in the face of the next disaster, with women in the lead.

    Join the Devex community and access more in-depth analysis, breaking news and business advice — and a host of other services — on international development, humanitarian aid and global health.

    • Humanitarian Aid
    • El Salvador
    Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).
    The views in this opinion piece do not necessarily reflect Devex's editorial views.

    About the authors

    • Ray Offenheiser

      Ray Offenheiser

      Ray Offenheiser is president of Oxfam America. With more than 30 years of international development experience as a field programmer, grant-maker and executive in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the United States, Offenheiser is a recognized leader on issues such as poverty alleviation, human rights, foreign policy and international development.
    • Karen Ramirez

      Karen Ramirez

      Karen Ramirez is the program manager of PRO-VIDA in El Salvador. As a chemist, she has dedicated her work to improving the safety and accessibility of water in her country.

    Search for articles

    Related Stories

    Climate changeOpinion: Climate action plans cannot ignore half Sierra Leone's population

    Opinion: Climate action plans cannot ignore half Sierra Leone's population

    Sponsored by RippleWorksAt Skoll, lessons on resilience and how to pivot during a crisis

    At Skoll, lessons on resilience and how to pivot during a crisis

    PhilanthropyOpinion: As foreign aid recedes, Asia must lead its own development future

    Opinion: As foreign aid recedes, Asia must lead its own development future

    Sponsored by Tetra PakUnlocking the ‘hidden middle’ for food security and climate resilience

    Unlocking the ‘hidden middle’ for food security and climate resilience

    Most Read

    • 1
      How to use law to strengthen public health advocacy
    • 2
      Lasting nutrition and food security needs new funding — and new systems
    • 3
      House cuts US global education funding 20%, spares multilateral partners
    • 4
      The power of diagnostics to improve mental health
    • 5
      Opinion: The pursuit of remission — from possibility to priority
    • News
    • Jobs
    • Funding
    • Talent
    • Events

    Devex is the media platform for the global development community.

    A social enterprise, we connect and inform over 1.3 million development, health, humanitarian, and sustainability professionals through news, business intelligence, and funding & career opportunities so you can do more good for more people. We invite you to join us.

    • About us
    • Membership
    • Newsletters
    • Advertising partnerships
    • Devex Talent Solutions
    • Post a job
    • Careers at Devex
    • Contact us
    © Copyright 2000 - 2025 Devex|User Agreement|Privacy Statement
    We use cookies to help improve your user experience. By using our site, you agree to the terms of our Privacy Policy.