The Executive Secretariat of the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (SE-CONRED) has reached a historic milestone by becoming the first public institution in the global environmental sector to obtain the Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions, in the Silver category. This recognition highlights the Secretariat’s commitment to gender equality and marks a significant advance in the promotion of responsive and transformative gender policies in the country.
Presentation Event of SE-CONRED Results – Silver Seal, with the Participation of SE-CONRED and UNDP Guatemala Authorities, Guatemala City, 2025
The results presentation event was chaired by CONRED’s Executive Secretary, Claudinne Ogaldes, together with her team, with the presence of the UNDP Resident Representative in Guatemala, Carlos Benitez Verdún, and the Global Coordinator of UNDP’s Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions, Ana María Landa Ugarte. This achievement makes CONRED the first public environmental and disaster risk reduction institution in the world to achieve this certification, a milestone that reaffirms the leadership of the Government of Guatemala in the field of gender equality and women’s empowerment. In her speech, Claudinne Ogaldes emphasized that for her administration
this achievement represents a fundamental step forward, as it echoes the efforts made to integrate the gender perspective in institutional processes
Mr. Carlos Benitez, UNDP Resident Representative in Guatemala and Mrs. Claudinne Ogaldes, SE-CONRED Executive Secretary, Guatemala City, 2025.
Carlos Benitez stressed the importance of this recognition, noting that
SE-CONRED is not only the first institution in Guatemala to complete the Gender Equality Seal certification process, but also the first Secretariat for Disaster Risk Reduction in the world to obtain this recognition, an example that positions Guatemala as a leader in gender mainstreaming in risk management
The efforts of the SE-CONRED administration and team are reflected in several notable institutional reforms, including the launch of the Institutional Policy for Gender Equality and Equity (PIEG) 2023-2026. Additionally, the updated Guide for the Integration of the Gender Perspective in Disaster Risk Management (GIRD) provides a practical framework for embedding gender equality across all stages of risk management. Furthermore, the allocation of operational and programmatic budgets ensures that resources are utilized inclusively and equitably, structurally transforming the approach to disaster response management.
The participatory development and adoption of the Sexual and Labor Harassment Prevention Protocol for the Secretariat represents another key achievement during the certification process. This comprehensive tool ensures a safe and respectful work environment for all employees within the institution.
SE-CONRED registered significant results in terms of inclusion and participation, as indigenous women (Maya, Garifuna, Xinka and mestizo) have been integrated into its local coordination systems, contributing their ancestral knowledge to address climate change-related risks, adaptation and mitigation. Likewise, the institution has significantly increased women’s leadership in management and decision-making spaces, being a secretariat traditionally led by male secretaries in the last administrations.
Through the certification process, SE-CONRED increased coordination with women’s civil society organizations, grassroots organizations in the territories and with international humanitarian aid organizations, such as the United Nations System, including coordination mechanisms at the highest level.
This achievement not only highlights the importance of gender equality as a transforming axis within SE-CONRED, positioning Guatemala as the first country in the world to incorporate the gender perspective in disaster risk management, through the implementation of the seal. These significant advances strengthen progress in gender equality, prevention, mitigation and resilience in public institutions.
