Building Better Futures: Empowering Grassroots Women to Build Resilient Communities

GROOTS International's Thematic Program on Community Resilience seeks to empower grassroots women to build resilient communities. This Program emerged from member organizations' work in disaster-hit communities in India, Turkey, Honduras and Jamaica. Member groups found that disaster response Programs were opportunities for women to become active participants in shaping the futures of their communities. Through their participation, grassroots women have developed innovative solutions that address practical problems of shelter, credit, livelihoods and basic services “ all of which lie at the intersection of resilience and development. What is unique about these grassroots solutions is that they also re-position women in the eyes of their families and communities. This publication highlights roles that grassroots women are playing in building resilient communities and insights emerging from resilience building efforts led by grassroots women in Peru, Jamaica, Honduras, Turkey, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India.