The GIRRL program: A human rights based approach to disaster risk reduction intervention in Southern Africa

Gender equality and female empowerment face many challenges within the Southern Africa region. Failures to ensure equality across all social groups creates pockets of people that face differential access to power and resources. This differential access can impede people's ability to adequately prepare for and rebound from adversity. The paper highlights the importance of human rights as a means of promoting equality and reducing discriminatory practices to limit access to resources and power. The Girls In Risk Reduction Leadership (GIRRL) Program was developed in response to the need for addressing the unequal social conditions which created and reinforced the vulnerability of adolescent girls in Southern Africa. A multiple case study approach was engaged utilizing interviews, focus groups, direct observations and key document reviews. The research uses the Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA) to present the value of the GIRRL Program's contributions to addressing disaster risk in Southern Africa.