When Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar in 2008, the country witnessed one of the most devastating disasters in its history. For a young Su Ei Nandar, seeing the courage of community members who stepped forward to help despite the enormous scale of loss and suffering made the moment a turning point in her life.
“Something shifted in me,” she recalls. That moment, shaped by a deep sense of responsibility and spirit of volunteerism, planted the seed for what would become a burning commitment to humanitarian work.
Today, with more than 12 years of experience in disaster risk reduction, resilience-building, gender programming, and emergency response, Su Ei stands as a champion for inclusive disaster management. As Programme Manager for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience at Plan International Myanmar, Su Ei has led major emergency responses, including Tropical Cyclone Mocha and Yagi, and the Kachin Floods, championing approaches that place women and girls at the centre of decision-making while bringing expertise from different sectors and team members.
Listening to Vulnerable Groups
Across every emergency Su Ei has managed, one principle remains central to her work: ensuring that the needs of vulnerable groups are reflected in emergency response. During rapid needs assessments, she ensures that women and girls are consulted separately and safely, creating space for them to speak openly about protection risks, menstrual hygiene needs, access to water and sanitation, privacy, and mobility challenges, which can often be overlooked in fast-paced responses.
“Their lived experiences, safety concerns, and daily challenges provide the most accurate picture of what is needed on the ground,” she explains.
Challenging Norms, Leading through Action
Working in disaster management has meant confronting not only logistical hurdles but also deeply rooted social norms, including those related to gender. Su Ei is candid about the challenges: the perception that emergency response roles are seen as “better suited for men.”
Yet she continues to break through these perceptions, often by taking the first step herself.
Two days before Tropical Cyclone Mocha made landfall in 2023, Su Ei deployed to support preparedness efforts at an at?risk area. Her presence demonstrated that women can lead from the front, make critical decisions under pressure, and coordinate complex operations.
Similarly, during the 2025 earthquake, she reached the affected area within 26 hours with front line response team and bringing the different expertise from the team members and served as the on-ground Emergency Response Manager. Leading the response team in those first crucial hours helped shift perceptions and reinforced that competence, not gender, defines leadership in emergencies.
Su Ei’s experiences have strengthened her belief that women’s leadership is not only possible, but essential in disaster management. “Each time I step into these roles, I hope it opens the door a little wider for the next generation of women who want to lead in humanitarian actions,” she says.
Becoming an ASCEND Certified Rapid Assessment Officer
In 2024, Su Ei took part in the 2nd ASEAN Standards and Certification for Experts in Disaster Management (ASCEND) Assessment in the Philippines. ASCEND is an initiative by the ASEAN Member States (AMS) that provides regionally recognised competency standards and a certi?cation process for disaster management professionals across ASEAN, managed by the AHA Centre and supported by the Republic of Korea through the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund (AKCF).
Su Ei successfully passed the assessment with flying colours, becoming an ASCEND-Certified Rapid Assessment Officer.
It was a milestone that strengthened both her technical skills and her voice in the regional DRR community. The certification deepened her understanding of ASEAN’s assessment methodologies, coordination systems, and regional disaster management frameworks, enabling her to respond with greater confidence and precision. It also expanded her regional network, connecting her with practitioners across ASEAN who share the same commitment: improving humanitarian response in the region.
But for Su Ei, the significance goes beyond professional recognition. “It validates my expertise and reinforces that women can lead in high?pressure, technical, and operational roles,” she shares. The certification has amplified her visibility and influence, demonstrating that capability is defined by skill and dedication, not gender.
A Message to Women in Humanitarian Work
On International Women’s Day 2026, Su Ei is reminded of the countless women across the ASEAN region who continue to lead with courage, compassion, and resilience, often in the most challenging moments of disaster and crisis. Working in humanitarian action has shown her that women are not only responders, but decision?makers, protectors, innovators, and community anchors. “Every time a woman steps forward to assess needs, coordinate a response, or support families in distress, she reshapes what leadership looks like in our sector.”
Su Ei’s message is one of encouragement and hope. “My wish for International Women’s Day 2026 and beyond is that more women across ASEAN will step into humanitarian roles with confidence, and that institutions will continue creating space for their voices, expertise, and leadership.”
“Together, we can build a region where resilience is shared, where no one is left behind, and where women’s leadership is recognised not as an exception, but as a driving force for safer, stronger communities,” she adds.
