Good Return’s Geogina Paongo reveals the focus of the UN Commission on the Status of Women on disaster risk and climate change has never been more timely.

The last two weeks (14-25 March) marked the annual session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women -  the principal global intergovernmental body dedicated exclusively to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. Members were deeply focussed on the theme: Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes. 

For Good Return, which is committed to gender equality and women’s economic empowerment across the Asia-Pacific, the summit is an important date in our calendar. This year, we reflect on the 2022 CSW theme in the wake of Tonga’s volcanic eruption and tsunami in January 2022. 

We are extremely grateful to have received an important on-the-ground update from Geogina Paongo, Tonga Program Coordinator at Good Return. Geogina has witnessed first hand how financial training, savings and money management skills are essential for women to recover from disasters in the context of disaster recovery and preparedness. 

What is the main work to be done in terms of physical recovery from the volcano?

The Government has recently announced a new recovery plan. The initial stage is rebuilding new houses for families who lost their homes. The launch of this rebuilding project began last week. This  is extremely necessary in the current climate. For example, in some of the worst cases, such as the coastal village of Kanokupolu, the damage was so bad  that the local people were required to  relocate to new areas. The same situation also occurred on small islands in the Haʻapai group such as Mango, ʻAtata.

Thankfully, there has been  more rainfall recently, which has allowed us to overcome the dry and dusty environment and the issues this posed for recovery efforts. The rainfall has also meant better water collection and greater availability of drinking water. This is crucial as most people are currently relying on rain for their  daily needs.

In terms of food - crucial supplies have included aid as well as shipments from family members overseas. The Government has waived tax and duty on these shipments. On the other hand, physical and mental suffering continue to be great challenges and there is a need for more counselling and resources in this area. 

How has the arrival of Covid impacted the recovery effort?

Covid has posed a great number of challenges to the recovery effort. In many ways it is like a triple disaster: volcanic eruption, tsunami and Covid. Covid slows down everything and also impacts the availability of Government resources. There continue to be snap lockdowns which cause heavy disruptions and issues with contact tracing. The frontline workers are exhausted. 

What do you think has been the combined effect of the volcanic eruption and covid on the women you know and work with?

Covid restrictions continue to add to the list of challenges for local women. Women at the grassroots level are struggling with loan repayments. Furthermore, as many women are the primary caregivers, they must often manage various members of their families’ health and the related medical expenses. These duties can also extend to caring for extended family members. 

Moreover, due to the ongoing rain, women in agriculture are facing their own set of obstacles: they are struggling to maintain their weeding and planting routines - which are vital for their economic livelihoods.  While there has been some assistance to women farmers from the international community, such as plow machines donated by Japan,  it hasn't been widespread and many districts remain devastated.

Can you reflect on your work at Good Return to build financial resilience, and the importance of this work in times of natural disaster?

My work at Good Return has strongly reaffirmed to me the importance of education or financial training - especially in the context of disaster recovery and preparedness. This is particularly important for women, who are managing their family’s resources and health, so that they feel prepared and supported throughout these hard times. 

To support Good Return’s programs in Tonga that strive to achieve women’s economic empowerment and financial inclusion for all follow the link: https://www.goodreturn.org.au/donate/

Image sourced from : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/14/they-didnt-think-help-was-coming-a-month-on-from-tonga-tsunami-in-pictures