In observance of the International Women's Day on March 8, Senator Loren Legarda, United Nations Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation for Asia-Pacific, noted that disasters affect about 200 million people all over the world yearly, half of them women or girls whose special needs and concerns are not properly addressed, putting them at greater risk during disasters, reports Sun Star.
According to the article, Legarda also stressed that there are other sectors more vulnerable to disasters, such as children, the elderly, persons with disabilities and indigenous people, whose special concerns must be given proper attention so that they become part of the solution to reduce risks and build resilience.