Rising Tides: What films reveal about resilience, gender and disaster?

Rising Tides: What films reveal about resilience, gender and disaster?
An International Women’s Day webinar
12.00pm to 1.30pm AEDT Wednesday 11 March

How do disaster films shape the way we understand risk, care, and resilience? And whose stories get told when crisis hits?

Join the Australasian Women in Emergencies Network and Gender and Disaster Australia for an engaging online webinar exploring the intersections of gender, disasters, and popular culture.

Exploring the recent Korean film The Great Flood, this session will bring together experts from social advocacy, disaster science, the built environment, and urban resilience to unpack how disasters are portrayed on screen — and what these narratives reveal about gender, power, vulnerability, and resilience in real-world disaster contexts.

Designed to be conversational and accessible, the webinar will feature short provocations from each speaker followed by a moderated discussion. It will be a space for critical reflection, cross-disciplinary exchange, and fresh thinking about gender-responsive disaster risk reduction.

The Great Flood is currently streaming on Netflix.

Speakers

Facilitated by Bridget Tehan, President of AWE Network and Loriana Bethune, Research and Innovation Manager, Gender and Disaster Australia.

Panellists include:

• Shweta Kawatra Dakin, Manager, Resilient Communities, GenWest.
  Prior to her work in Melbourne supporting the resilience of urban multicultural communities, Shweta worked in film and television for over 15 years in India and believes in the power of mainstream pop culture, not only as a mirror of our society, but also as a medium for influencing change.

• Dr. Cheryl L Anderson, Senior Advisor, Hazard Risk Management, National Emergency Management Agency (NZ).
  Prior to her work with NEMA, Cheryl worked on post-tsunami socioeconomic impacts and gender needs assessments in Indonesia, American Samoa and Samoa following the 2004 and 2009 tsunamis; and provided NZ focal point lessons to the Sendai Framework for DRR and the Sendai Gender Action Plan. (waiting on Cheryl’s bio)

• Dr Melanie Robson, Lecturer BA (Screen Studies) Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS).
  Melanie holds a PhD in film studies from UNSW Sydney and has experience teaching film at both UNSW and AFTRS, specializing in screen theory and analysis. Melanie is also the Co-founder and President of the Sydney Screen Studies Network (SSSN) and former lecturer at the School of the Arts & Media, UNSW.
  
• Dr Margaret Moreton, CEO, Gender and Disaster Australia
  Margaret has had an extensive career spanning 40 years including social policy and advisory roles, program management, and the provision of consultancy services. She has held various leadership positions and undertaken significant projects and contract work within government, and the NFP, government, business, philanthropy and community sectors.

Event accessibility

We aim to ensure that all people have equal access to our online event. If you have any access requirements or need us to make any adjustments for you to participate fully, please let us know at info@gadaustralia.com.au