AWE Newsletter – July 2024

Don’t forget to complete the AWE Member Survey 2024. As an AWE member your feedback is vital, and we can’t wait to hear from you!

By completing the survey you can help us understand how AWE can meet your needs, and how we can best promote, support and recognise you, our other members and all women in emergencies and disaster resilience. The Survey should only take around 10 minutes to complete – click here to begin.

Thank you for contributing to AWE through your participation in the survey. Together we will grow and strengthen our AWEsome network.

AWE Recognition Awards 2024

AWE is delighted to announce the second annual AWE Recognition Awards!

The Awards are an opportunity to formally recognise and honour those who inspire us and make an important difference in emergency management and disaster resilience across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. Let’s take this opportunity to shine a light into the corners and celebrate the remarkable women we work with.

Important dates to remember:

• Award nominations open on Friday 26 July 2024
• Award nominations close on Monday 26 August 2024
• Award ceremony will be held on Tuesday 1 October 2024

 We’ll be providing details soon, so keep an eye on your inbox!

AWE in June and July

AWE hosted four webinars in the past few weeks with more than 500 members registering to attend. These include:

• Disaster governance, collaboration and community organising: A gendered perspective. In this webinar, researchers Rebecca McNaught and Emma Pittaway shared the contributions women made, and the barriers they faced, from formal governance arrangements to inter-agency collaboration to community self-organising during the Northern Rivers Floods in 2022.
• Celebrating Volunteerism: Panel Discussion. This Volunteer Panel Discussion, hosted during Te Wiki Tūao ā-Motu (NZ National Volunteer Week), featured five incredible volunteers from across the motu to recognise and celebrate celebrated the extraordinary contribution of volunteers to emergency management and disaster resilience.
• Our Community, Our Voice: Migrant and refugee women’s experiences of urban flood. In this webinar Wennie Van Riet from GenWest share the experiences of migrant and refugee women in urban floods, their experiences of disaster responses, as well as their attempts to recover and rebuild their lives in the aftermath.
• NSW Functional Areas: Introducing TELCOFA and EUSFA. This webinar provided an overview of the NSW Emergency Management Plan and the role of Functional Areas in supporting combat agencies and emergency operations including NSW Police, the NSW Telco Authority and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

AWE NZ Celebrating Volunteerism: Panel Discussion

Missed one of the webinars above? You can watch all these webinars,
and others, on the AWE YouTube Channel.

Don’t forget to check out upcoming opportunities in our events section below. 

Foundations in Disaster Recovery Scholarships

We are delighted to announce that the winner of the August Foundations in Disaster Recovery Scholarship is AWE member Sharmila Gurung, from Nepal Red Cross Society. Sharmila says, “The learning outcomes of this course will not only meet my professional goals but will also help address Nepal’s needs. A deeper understanding of disaster recovery fundamentals will enable me to devise appropriate recovery strategies tailored to the unique challenges of Nepalese communities and understanding the interconnected nature of disaster impacts will allow me to address the complex needs of affected populations more holistically.”

AWE is thrilled to be supporting internationally based member and an international not for profit organisation and congratulates Sharmila on her Scholarship.

The October Foundations in Disaster Recovery Scholarship opens on 22 July. Don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding of disaster recovery and use evidence-based materials to support practice. AWE thanks the University of Melbourne for their generosity in providing these scholarships.

NAIDOC Week

AWE recognises NAIDOC Week as an opportunity to learn about, recognise and celebrate Australian First Nations’ cultures and histories, the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth. There’s lots of ways that you can get involved, personally and professionally. Check out the various resources on the NAIDOC Week website, find out what your workplace is doing, attend a local community event, or check out AIDR’s free Naidoc Week panel session Fires, Floods, Pandemics: Exploring Indigenous leadership in disaster responses on 10 July. 

AWE QLD

Welcome to AWE QLD! We’re planning some great opportunities for members to come together to network, discuss why we’re a part of AWE, what we’d like to contribute, and what opportunities we can create together for professional development into the future. We hope that you can join us online, at breakfast, for afterwork drinks or on a camping adventure – there’s something to suit everyone!

Online get-together
5:30pm Thursday 11 July
Calling all AWE QLD members, friends and allies from across the State. Dial in to connect, get updates and share experiences at this informal online get-together. Register here.

Breakfast on the Gold Coast
7am Tuesday 23 July
If you’re attending the 2024 Disaster & Emergency Management Conference, join AWE for breakfast at Tees’ Clubhouse before the second day begins. Book now.

Drinks in the Brisbane CBD
5pm Wednesday 21 August 
Join us after work at Isles Lane to network with other AWE members. Isles Lane is conveniently located in Post Office Square, opposite Central train station. Book now.

Overnight camping adventure
Saturday 24 – Sunday 25 August
We’re seeking expressions of interest for anyone interested in attending an overnight, accessible one-night camp in the Scenic Rim/Lockyer Valley area. See our events section for details or register your interest here. 

If you have queries about any of the above, or have other ideas for AWE QLD, send an email to Liz at [email protected]

AWE VIC

Join our AWE New Zealand Facebook group to engage in meaningful discussions, share resources, and stay updated on the latest news and events. Connect with like-minded professionals and advocates who are passionate about the emergency and disaster sector.

For professional networking and insights, follow our AWE LinkedIn page and join the AWE LinkedIn group. Expand your professional circle and stay informed about industry trends, job vacancies, and upcoming opportunities to enhance emergency services and support systems for women in New Zealand and the Australasian region.

If you’re not into social media or trying to cut back on your time online, you can still easily stay in the know! Access our shared AWE NZ event calendar on Google to discover upcoming local events, workshops, webinars, and community gatherings focused around Aotearoa NZ.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or new to the field, AWE NZ is your platform to make a difference and drive positive change in emergency response for women across our communities. Contact AWE NZ Chapter Lead Amy for a chat about how you can get involved.

AWE NZ Breakfast
This week, four women braved the wet weather and met for the inaugural monthly breakfast get-together at the Old Bailey. We’ll be meeting again on the first Tuesday of each month for more networking and discussion on upcoming opportunities – see below for details. 

AWE NZ Wellington Breakfast – first Tuesday of every month

7.30am Tuesday 6 August
Old Bailey Restaurant
101 Lambton Quay, Wellington

Join AWE for breakfast on the first Tuesday of every month in Wellington! Drop in to the Old Bailey from 7:30am – have a coffee or stay for breakfast and connect with AWE members and other women working in our sector! Email Amy to RSVP and let us know if you can make it.

Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction
Free recorded webinars
The AIDR Leave Nobody Behind webinar series showcases action-oriented good practice in Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction with sessions targeted to service providers; people with a disability and their representatives; governments and emergency services; and the launch the Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction Framework and Toolkit for Collaborative Action.

Community-led recovery and governments survey: If you worked in emergency management or disaster recovery roles in local, state or federal government between 2020 – 2024, consider completing this survey to help researchers at the University of Melbourne and University of New South Wales understand what people in government think about community-led approaches to disaster recovery.

Culture and identity in disasters: A new report highlights the importance of integrating cultural considerations into disaster risk reduction and disaster response work, as well as better understanding the intricacies of individual or community identity in disasters.

Equitable disaster recovery: This research brief provides a practical review of disaster recovery literature from the last 25 years, identifying the specific barriers to disaster recovery that vulnerable communities face in the US and highlighting key recommendations and insights for policymakers and practitioners working in the disaster recovery space.

Extreme heat and preterm birth: New evidence from the US shows the link between extreme heat and adverse birth outcomes, with other research showing heat exposure during pregnancy can lead to a lifetime of health problems. 

Fire detection from space: This University of South Australia media release states that satellites with onboard AI are now able to detect fires from space 500 times faster than traditional on-ground processing of imagery.

Health and climate change: The Climate change and environmental health indicators: reporting framework was developed to measure and monitor how climate change and the environment (both natural and built) impact on the Australian population’s health.

Heat and human rights: This report examines the consequences and risks of extreme heat through a human rights lens, while this US article explores rising global temperatures and the significant threat to farmworkers who are essential to our food supply.

It’s not a ‘natural’ disaster. This article explains that what turns a natural hazard into a disaster is often the consequence of human decisions that increase our vulnerability and exposure to risk, and why language matters.

Managing elections during floods: This case study explores the Victorian 2022 floods and the electoral system, risk management approaches and lessons learned.  

Multicultural preparedness resources: A new series of NZ videos have been designed for multicultural communities to know what to do to prepare for different disasters and emergencies, and how to respond when they happen.

South Australia preparedness survey: A new Flinders University survey seeks to understand more about people’s ability to prepare for bushfire, heatwave, drought, flood, storm/high winds, or earthquake, with anonymous results to be provided to emergency services to assist with planning.

Traditional knowledge and climate change: A new resource highlights traditional knowledge and how communities in conflict-affected regions address climate, environmental, and social challenges, emphasizing the importance of community-led approaches.

If you’ve got news or resources you would like shared in the AWE Newsletter, please email us the details by the end of the calendar month in time for publication the first week of each month.

NSW
Project Officer, Resilient Sydney
Security Risk & Resilience Manager, Sydney Opera House

QLD
Executive Director, Climate, Department of Energy and Climate
Graduate Meteorologist – STEM degrees welcome to apply, Bureau of Meteorology

SA
Environment and Sustainability Officer P/T, City of Victor Harbor
Project Officer – System Management and Engagement, SA Country Fire Service

TAS
Coordinator, Red Hot Tips, Tasmania Fire Service
Volunteer Stakeholder Engagement Officer – North, Tasmania Fire Service

VIC
Emergency Management Planning and Claims Officer, Latrobe City Council
Senior Emergency Management Consequence Management Officer, Department of Health

WA
Project Officer – Emergency Disaster Management, WA Health
Senior Policy and Legislation Officer and Senior Legislation Officer, Department of Fire & Emergency Services

NZ
Senior Advisor, Strategic Enablement and Senior Advisor, Accountability  NEMA
Principle Policy Advisor Climate Change, Kāpiti Coast District Council

If you’ve got a job vacancy you would like to promote in the AWE Newsletter, please email us the details by the end of the calendar month in time for publication the first week of each month.

22-23 July                   2024 Disaster & Emergency Management Conference

3-6 September            AFAC24 with ADRC 2024

24-26 September        National Indigenous Disaster Resiience Gathering

8-10 October              The Global Nature Positive Summit 2024

October                       Australasian Women in Emergencies Day

13 October                  International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction

11-24 November         UN Climate Change Conference (COP 29)

1 October                    AWE Recognition Awards Ceremony

14-17 October             Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (PH)

9-10 September          Climate Change and Business Conference Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland NZ.

7 – 9 November           Australasian Conference on Traumatic Stress

1-2 December             International Conference on Climate Change and Global Warming (NZ)

2025

24-25 March             Gender and Disaster Conference (NEW)