Highlights from the first RCRC Annual SEA Regional Gender and Diversity Forum

Adam's Love participated in the first RCRC Annual SEA Regional Gender and Diversity Forum held on 26-27 November 2014 in Manila
Please kindly see the below document, outlining the highlights and key outcomes from the two days.


International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Highlights from First Annual SEA Regional Gender and Diversity Network Forum
Gender and Diversity / Manila / November 2014

Within Southeast Asia, as in many parts of the world, inequalities based on gender, sexuality, disability, age and ethnicity remain a great challenge. Discrimination and variable levels of access to resources continue to negatively impact human development, health, economic growth and individuals’ and communities’ ability to prepare for, and respond to, disasters. To address these issues, Southeast Asia’s National Societies have been actively working to ensure their initiatives promote gender equality, respect for diversity and are non-discriminatory towards women, girls, boys and men. In the spirit of collaboration, IFRC and National Societies have been working together to increase co-ordination and to align their strategic direction. Together, they have been building their collective knowledge and capacity and integrating gender and diversity considerations into their programs, policies and tools.

In order to facilitate the National Societies coming together, the IFRC, with co-sponsorship from the Philippine Red Cross, hosted the first annual Southeast Asia Regional. Running over one-and-a-half days, the forum was attended by Gender and Diversity focal points from seven National Societies: Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand (Adam's Love) and Vietnam. Participants had backgrounds in disaster management and health, as well as from organisational development, human resources and planning units. The forum provided an opportunity for representatives to enhance their knowledge, capacity and coordination on gender and diversity integration across their society’s programming.