1 November 2024

Filipina and Papua New Guinean advocates honoured for leadership in disaster risk reduction, sustainable agriculture, and gender equality

Source(s): United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Asia and Pacific

The Women’s International Network for Disaster Risk Reduction (WIN DRR) Leadership Awards 2024 have been awarded to Ms. Robyn Camilla Mijares from the Philippines and Ms. Maria Linibi from Papua New Guinea for their outstanding leadership in disaster resilience, sustainable agriculture, and advocacy for women's and youth empowerment. The awards were announced by the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mr. Kamal Kishore, in Manila, Philippines, at the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) in October 2024.

Selected from over 250 nominations across Asia and the Pacific, the two winners exemplify the impactful role of women leaders in building resilient, sustainable communities in the face of rising climate and disaster risks. The awards celebrate the achievements of women whose leadership is driving transformative change in disaster risk reduction and resilience.

Robyn Mijares: WIN DRR Rising Star award winner

As the Executive Director and Founder of Youth Uprising Philippines and Grow School Philippines, Robyn Mijares is revolutionizing agricultural and environmental education to address the Philippines' urgent need for food security and climate resilience. Through her work, Robyn has reached over 98,000 students nationwide, teaching them not only about food security but about their potential as change-makers in building resilient communities. By integrating hands-on agricultural learning in public schools, her initiatives turn young students into leaders who understand the critical role of sustainable food systems in disaster resilience.

"What inspires me the most is the ability of young people to redefine what hunger means,” says Robyn. “They’re transforming their hunger for food into a hunger for change—turning problems into solutions, hope into action, and vulnerability into resilience.”

Robyn’s reach has now expanded beyond the Philippines, with her initiatives making waves in Indonesia, Lao PDR, and Thailand.

Maria Linibi: WIN DRR Excellence award winner

In Papua New Guinea, Maria Linibi has become a pivotal figure in empowering women in agriculture. As President and Founder of PNG Women in Agriculture, the largest NGO for women in agriculture in the country, Maria advocates for women as equal partners in sustainable development. Her organization serves over 20,000 women farmers, providing them with essential skills in business, climate-resilient farming, and community leadership. From training women in bookkeeping to connecting them with financial institutions for loans, Maria’s initiatives uplift women as entrepreneurs and community leaders, reinforcing resilience and food security.

“My inspiration is seeing women successful in their lives,” Maria shares. “Every success of a woman farmer, I celebrate as if it were my own.”

Maria’s contributions go beyond Papua New Guinea; as a Board member of the Pacific Island Farmers Organization, she brokers essential partnerships that enable women farmers across the Pacific to access resources, training, and market opportunities that build resilience, sustainability and gender equality.

Recognizing women leaders in disaster risk reduction

The WIN DRR Leadership Awards celebrate women’s achievements in disaster risk reduction across Asia and the Pacific. The awards are part of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) flagship women’s leadership initiative, the Women’s International Network for Disaster Risk Reduction (WIN DRR). Supported by the Government of Australia, the awards include two categories: the Excellence Award, proudly sponsored by SM Prime Inc., with a prize of US$10,000, and the Rising Star Award, which offers US$7,500.

As Mr. Kishore expressed at the award ceremony, “Inclusive disaster risk reduction is more effective disaster risk reduction. Women’s participation and leadership in planning, decision-making and implementing are essential to ensure that disaster risk reduction measures benefit everyone.”