Reshaping disaster experiences: lessons from Samoan women’s disaster resilience

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PurposeFrequent disasters pose a significant threat to Indigenous societies, knowledge and cultures in the South Pacific. This paper will highlight the imperative to recognize and incorporate women and Indigenous knowledge in strengthening disaster risk reduction (DRR) within these societies. While existing research often emphasizes women’s vulnerability in disasters, there is a notable gap in documenting their resilience (Moreno and Shaw, 2018), particularly stemming from Indigenous women’s traditional roles and practices (Bajracharya et al., 2022).Design/methodology/approachThis paper will identify the application of traditional knowledge in responding to disaster risk and early warning systems, examine traditional knowledge systems and structures in local communities and assess the contribution of Samoan women in disaster preparations.FindingsFindings show the importance of recognizing and valuing the traditional expertise of Samoan women, providing essential insights for the development of contextually appropriate and sustainable disaster preparedness strategies.Originality/valueWith Samoa as the case study, this paper will employ culturally relevant Pacific research approaches to investigate women’s preparedness and response capacities to disasters.