On April 2, 2025, a ‘Rapid Gender Analysis (RGA) – Myanmar Earthquake’ brief was released to address the devastating gendered impacts of the March 28, 2025 earthquake in Myanmar.
Developed collaboratively by the feminist funds like the Global Resilience Fund, and the Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights Asia & Pacific (UAF A&P)— grantee partners of the Channel Foundation—this brief sheds critical light on the intersection of gender, displacement, and humanitarian response in the wake of natural disaster.
The 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck regions already deeply impacted by conflict and displacement, compounding pre-existing vulnerabilities and disproportionately affecting women, girls, LGBTQI+ individuals, and people with disabilities. Sagaing, the epicenter of the quake, and surrounding regions like Mandalay, Magway, Bago, Shan, and Nay Pyi Taw are now experiencing heightened humanitarian crises.
What makes this RGA particularly important is its feminist, intersectional lens. It highlights how entrenched gender norms, systemic discrimination, and conflict dynamics exacerbate the impacts of disasters. The report found that women’s rights organizations, despite limited access to resources, have once again emerged as first responders in hard-to-reach communities—underscoring the need to prioritize their voices and leadership in humanitarian planning and funding.
Among its key recommendations, the report calls for increased support to women-led and feminist organizations, gender-responsive shelter design, accessible WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) facilities, and urgent investment in community-based health and SRHR (sexual and reproductive health and rights) services. It also emphasizes the importance of collecting sex, age, and disability-disaggregated data to ensure aid reaches those most in need.
The Channel Foundation is proud to support UAF A&P in advancing feminist humanitarian responses rooted in local expertise and inclusive leadership. To explore the full report and learn more about how feminist funds are responding to the Myanmar crisis, visit the Gender in Emergencies Group, a social enterprise working on gender in humanitarian action: giegroup.org.
