1. Protect rural women against sexual abuse or exploitation, especially during and after an emergency. Prevention is more important than remedy. As such, the government should put into place protective mechanisms to prevent the occurrence of abuses to women at the evacuation sites and within their communities. 2. Provide economic opportunities for rural women​. Many rural women are forced into prostitution in exchange of basic needs during disaster situations. Providing them opportunities to earn can help remove the push factor for resorting to prostitution. 3. Ensure a rapid response that is gender and culture sensitive, as well as inclusive to different marginalized groups, such as persons with disability, older persons, indigenous persons and women farmers and fisherfolks. This should replace the blanket distribution system that is mostly used in distribution of relief packs and services. Below are some examples of inclusive responses: ● For Elderly Persons: Provision of relief packs that does not include food items that may increase the occurrence of illnesses associated with elderly persons. For instance, since hypertension is common in elderly persons, food items that are high in salt, such as instant noodles, should be avoided. Also, as liniment is said to be appreciated by older persons, its inclusion in relief packs for this group should be explored. ● For rural women with disabilities: Mobility aid such as wheelchairs and crutches at evacuation centers for those with physical disabilities should be provided. Other tools and technology that are useful to other types of disabilities should be identified and their provision should be explored. ● For IPs: avoid food and non-food items that may be culturally offensive to the community. Sensitivity to their particular needs considering their practices and environmental factors should be considered. ● For farmers and fisherfolks: As disasters may damage or wipe out the victims’ belongings, provision of tools used by women farmers and fisherfolks can be given to them to help them start over with their means of livelihood. 4. Provide basic and care services that will lessen rural women’s difficulty due to multiple burden. During disasters, where family members are more predisposed to illnesses and injuries, the government should provide free and accessible health and care services for affected family members to reduce the unpaid care work provided by rural women. Accessible clean water and sanitation should also be provided to women and their families. 5. Empower all groups of rural women by building their knowledge on disaster risk reduction and emergency response​. It is important for the women to learn about the dangers posed by various disaster situations and what they should do before, during and after such situations. This will help them prepare for emergency and crisis situations and empower them to protect themselves and their families 6. Plan and institutionalize a data collection system that will provide for a more targeted response for the needs of rural women. Planning should include identification of data that are needed to better assess the situation and needs of rural women in general and within these various groups. Disaggregated data can then be utilized in program planning for a more appropriate provision of basic needs and services to rural women in various sectors. Institutionalization of the data collection is important so that a baseline can be established and impact can be monitored. 27

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