Linking Gender Vulnerability and Disasters

Citation:

Sikandar, Rahila, and Asif Khan. 2019. "Linking Gender Vulnerability and Disasters." In Disaster Risk Reduction: Community Resilience and Responses, edited by Bupinder Zutshi, Akbaruddin Ahmad, and Anananda Babu Srungarapati, 215-30. Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore.

Authors: Rahila Sikandar, Asif Khan

Abstract:

Disasters are one of the most perilous ways to show nature its anger. The pressure of ever-increasing wants and never-ending desires of human beings push them to exploit natural resources. This exploitation causes havocs which further results into catastrophes and disasters. The impact of such natural hazards goes widespread. However, within the affected population, it is the women who suffer the most. Women are the most vulnerable section of any society and therefore, vastly affected by any disaster either man made or natural. Due to their vulnerability, they have the least ability to recover from such losses. Their resilience power is abysmal due to their low educational status, lack of knowledge, and awareness. This paper focuses on some of the critical issues and concerns relating to the vulnerability of women at the times of disasters. The present paper will examine the impact of disasters on women along with the measures taken by the state and the required public policy for the women affected during the said period. This paper is based on content analysis of the secondary data.

Keywords: disaster, women, resilience, education, public policy

Topics: Environment, Environmental Disasters, Gender, Women, Governance

Year: 2019