Moroccan NGO advocates for women's inclusion in climate disaster management

The Democratic Association of Moroccan Women (ADFM) is urging for greater female involvement in the management of natural disasters across the country. This call to action, issued on Friday, follows the devastating floods in Safi, which have resulted in significant human and material losses.

The NGO has voiced its concerns over the situation, highlighting the particular challenges faced by women. In Morocco, 68% of working women are engaged in the informal sector, and the association stresses that the floods have severely disrupted the livelihoods of numerous vendors, artisans, agricultural processors, and service providers.

The ADFM underscores the absence of early warning systems that cater to the specific needs of women in rural and peri-urban areas, where many are also responsible for childcare and elder care.

In light of this, the NGO urges the government to focus on developing emergency shelter infrastructure that addresses the needs of women and girls. It also recommends implementing concrete measures to address the crisis through a gender-sensitive lens.

Additionally, the NGO calls for the establishment of support mechanisms for women in the affected informal sector and suggests conducting an assessment of the gender-specific impacts of environmental risks.

To promote inclusive resilience, the ADFM advocates for the creation of a national observatory dedicated to understanding the gendered impacts of climate change.