A new 10-year Pacific Disability Inclusive Resilience Development Strategy has been launched.

The strategy focuses on integrating disability and gender inclusion with financial resilience.

Executive Director PIANGO Emelini Ilolahia says the strategy aims to create inclusive opportunities for women with disabilities in disaster risk management and climate change efforts across the Pacific Islands.

She says the strategy will help build long-term resilience and independence, ensuring that persons with disabilities can thrive, especially during times of crisis.

“We will be extending the horizon of this strategy in looking into access to education, for example, when we’re talking about resilience, and others in terms of access to employment, and some of the other stories that we have heard from our communities, of which PIANGO and the Pacific Disability Forum have a common interest in terms of how we support our local partners.”

Pacific Disability Forum CEO Sainimili Tawake says the strategy advocates for inclusive banking, social protection, and government support to bridge this gap.

“When we talk about resilience, we must talk about financial independence. Women with disabilities need equal access to jobs, business opportunities, and financial security.”

Ilolahia adds that despite efforts to channel funding directly to local communities, the process of securing it remains unchanged.

“There’s still no sense of change in how funding is actually going directly to local communities. We still have to go through the due process, due diligence process, which is important, but it often avoids access of our local community to some of those financial resources.”

The new strategy, introduced by the Pacific Disability Forum in partnership with UN Women, aligns with International Women’s Day.

It sends a strong message that resilience planning must be inclusive of everyone, especially those most affected by climate change and disasters.

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