The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) has reinforced its commitment to inclusive disaster management following the successful completion of a nationwide regional engagement focused on gender and social inclusion.
Led by NDMA’s Gender and Social Inclusion Coordinator, Erica A. B. Konneh, the initiative was conducted from January 19 to 26, 2026, with approval from the Agency’s leadership. It covered all four regional offices in the North-West, Northern, Eastern, and Southern Regions, bringing together regional staff to deepen understanding of gender mainstreaming, inclusive practice and the role of gender-sensitive data in disaster preparedness, response and recovery.
The engagement team included NDMA’s Internal Auditor, Abdul Razak Kemoh, the Deputy Director of Human Resource and Administration, Mather Baindu Lahai, and Erica A. B. Konneh. Across the regions, staff demonstrated strong interest and active participation through interactive sessions aimed at strengthening gender-inclusive approaches within regional operations.
Explaining the purpose of the tour, Erica A. B. Konneh said the engagement was designed to embed gender and social inclusion as core principles across all stages of disaster management, rather than treating them as stand-alone issues.
“Gender and social inclusion are fundamentally human rights issues,” she stated. “Our objective is to ensure that NDMA’s disaster response leaves no one behind; women, men, children, older persons and persons living with disabilities.”
She noted that the sessions also encouraged regional staff to serve as inclusion ambassadors in their day-to-day work, particularly during community engagements and assessments. Emphasis was placed on accurate and inclusive data collection as a foundation for effective planning, coordination with partners and resource mobilization.
The sessions combined presentations with open discussions, providing space for staff to share experiences, raise questions and suggest practical solutions. A post-engagement questionnaire recorded a 92.3 percent response rate, reflecting strong participation and yielding valuable insights into staff perspectives on gender and inclusion within the Agency.
Participants reported an improved understanding of gender mainstreaming as a cross-cutting mindset that applies throughout the disaster cycle, from preparedness to recovery. Many also acknowledged that inclusive disaster management goes beyond women and children to encompass men and other vulnerable groups and requires skills such as ethical data collection, communication, coordination and risk communication.
Commenting on the initiative, NDMA Director General John Vandy Rogers described the regional engagement as a strategic investment in institutional effectiveness.
“Inclusive disaster management is not optional; it is essential,” he said. “When gender and social inclusion are properly mainstreamed, our interventions become more effective, accountable and responsive to the real needs of affected communities.”
He assured that NDMA Management would review the findings and recommendations from the engagement, noting that several issues raised have agency-wide implications due to NDMA’s integrated operational structure.
In her closing remarks, Erica A. B. Konneh described the tour as both professionally enriching and institutionally valuable, citing stronger relationships with regional colleagues and deeper insight into the realities of gender work at field level. She expressed appreciation to NDMA Management for supporting the initiative, describing it as a clear demonstration of leadership’s commitment to equity, inclusion and people-centred disaster management.
The nationwide engagement aligns with NDMA’s broader mandate to build resilient communities through inclusive, coordinated and evidence-based disaster risk management across Sierra Leone.
