GENDERED LANDSCAPE OF DISASTER: SOME OBSERVATIONS

Abstract

Repeated disasters threaten sustainable development. Disasters destroy decades of human efforts and investments towards development, thereby placing heavy demands on society for reconstruction and rehabilitation. Disasters—both natural and human-made—pose substantial risks to societies globally. History has shown that societies sustain annual losses due to the impact of natural and anthropogenic hazards on unnaturally created vulnerable circumstances. Women and men differ in their vulnerability to disasters. Women and children (both boys and girls) are 14 times more likely than men to die in disasters. Gender disparities exert powerful differences within societies worldwide, even in the field of disasters. Gender mainstreaming in disaster reduction allows women to decrease their vulnerability through identifying their specific needs. Promoting the active participation of women in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery is not just a matter of equity—it is essential for creating resilient, adaptive, and safer communities. Their inclusion leads to more broad, receptive and effective disaster risk management. After identifying the existing roles of men and women through gender analysis, gender mainstreaming helps to achieve equality in disaster reduction by giving a comprehensive understanding of the possible effects of policies and measures developed for disaster reduction on gender roles. However, since disaster reduction and development have a close inter relationship, gender mainstreaming in disaster reduction is a parallel and inter-linked process to mainstreaming disaster reduction into sustainable development policies.