Notre Dame Law student Ashley Carvalho is passionate about women’s rights and community development, which led her on a Study Abroad experience at Indonesia’s Unitesitas Katolik, Parahyangan in Bandung.

“This experience has opened up many doors and has fostered a great personal desire to further my knowledge in the field of community development,” Ashley said.

Ashley’s research revealed that women in developing countries, are disproportionately affected during times of disaster due to socio-economic, environmental and cultural factors such as poverty, gender inequality and lack of resources.

“That means they are perfectly positioned to shape disaster management programs to the particular realities that women alone experience, and can use that experience to promote the wellbeing of entire communities,” Ashley said.

“Women need to have a key role and voice in the preparatory and post-disaster period.”

Ashley’s research caught the attention of the International Association for Community Development (IACD) and, at their invitation, presented her findings at the IACD’s conference in Auckland in 2017.