WUNRN
Isis International - Women in Action
Engendered
Disaster Management through Community Radio
A
disaster is any event occurring naturally or due to human activities, which
threatens human lives, damages property and infrastructure, and disrupts social
and economic life. Disasters result in significant morbidity, mortality and
economic loss. The occurrences of natural disasters have increased with global
warming and climate change. Though disasters cannot be completely prevented,
its effects can be mitigated through effective communication and timely
information.
Disaster
Management
Disaster Management is a broad term and comprises of mitigation, preparedness,
response and recovery. Mitigation is action considered long before an emergency
occurs and includes any activity aimed at reducing the probability of damage
from a disaster. Preparedness is action taken to save lives before and during a
natural disaster. It ensures people are ready for a disaster and would be able
to respond to it effectively. Response occurs after the onset of a disaster.
Recovery activities begin immediately following a disaster.
Through the
whole process of disaster management, it is necessary to keep an engendered
approach though some may question this idea. After all when disasters do strike
they affect everyone in the community, whether one is a man or a woman. So why
do we need an engendered approach?
In any
disaster, the death toll is greater amongst women, children, elderly, and the
disabled as they are left at home with no information about the impending
disaster, and are bound by cultural restrictions. All these factors are
impediments to their safety and result in the higher casualty rates. For
example, it was found that during floods in
Disaster
management must then be initiated towards the protection of vulnerable groups.
In recent years, organisations involved in disaster management have shifted
their efforts and resources from a post-disaster approach (response and
recovery) to pre-disaster and pro-active efforts (mitigation and preparedness).
The shift is the result of the realisation that by minimising the impact of
natural and human-made hazards in communities, damages and loss will be
lessened, reducing costs and recovery time.
Community
radios operate on the principle, “for the community, by the community and of
the community.” In other words they are not for profit and are set up for
serving the needs of a specific community or for a specific purpose. Community
radio is the most effective communication tool when it comes to assisting
people in poor communities as it reaches into the homes of the poorest of the
poor and is one of the most effective vehicles for helping seriously
disadvantaged communities share vital information.
Though the participation of women in community radios has
been increasing, the programmes on disaster management still fail to target
women, children and elderly.
Community
radio is proven to be an effective tool for disaster management as it has been
the most efficient means to deliver information that are suited to the needs of
the community and packaged in their own language. It has helped build awareness
and strategies so that the communities are better prepared and are able to
participate more actively in disaster management.
Community
radios have played a big role in disaster management in
In order to
address this gap AMARC and its gender arm, the AMARC Women International
Network (AMARC -WIN), have been advocating for engendered disaster management
practices by community radios.
An Engendered Approach to Disaster
Management
Following the
implementation of the Ford Foundation supported project on “Poverty Alleviation
and Disaster Management through Community Radio” in Indonesia and in Asia
Pacific region, AMARC Asia Pacific has been able to draw lessons on the good
practices of community radio for disaster management.
For practical
purpose, disaster management by community radios can be broadly divided into
three phases – pre disaster (mitigation and preparedness) stage, emergency
(response) stage and post disaster (recovery) stage. Timely preparedness and
proactive steps by community radios can help reduce the damage and loss of
lives occurring from a disaster.
Some
important engendered steps to be taken during the three stages of disaster
management as shared from the experiences of the community radios from Asia
Pacific are given below.
Information on stockpiling and storage of food, medicines
and water go a long way in better preparing the community to combat a disaster
Pre-disaster Stage:
It helps to
broadcast programs that raise people’s awareness of eminent disasters that
occur frequently in the locality. For example Lintas Merapi FM station in
Preventive
measures like compiling local knowledge on signs of impending disaster and
educating women and children on the likely occurrence of disasters proved
helpful. Information on stockpiling and storage of food, medicines and water go
a long way in better preparing the community to combat a disaster.
Radio FM YY
in
Similarly
emergency drills conducted in the community and identification of safe places
to take shelter especially targeting women, children, mentally and physically
disabled people and elderly have proved beneficial when disasters strike.
Emergency Stage:
During
emergency it is critical to start broadcasting as early as possible. All
announcements and broadcasts should be done in a reassuring and calm manner.
People relate to the voice on the radio and in times of crisis hearing a
familiar voice renders some peace and calmness to the victims. Public service
announcements on what women and children should do during disasters are very
helpful as most of them are left traumatised because of the loss of loved ones,
their homes and their belongings.
Community
radios can broadcast updates on the damage situation and must provide gender
disaggregated data as much as possible. Broadcast appeal for donations
addressing women and children’s special needs can help the relief efforts.
Cultural practices would prevent a woman from seeking medical help from a male
doctor or hijab (head covering traditional dress code for Muslim women) wearing
women will not be able to use the clothes sent through relief donations from
foreign countries. After the tsunami struck in Aceh and an earthquake in
Yogjakarta in
Special
attention must also be paid to the safety of people behind the microphone, the
people who are tasked with the responsibility to make it all happen. During the
“Women Making Airwaves for Peace – 3,” a seminar conducted by AMARC WIN and
Isis International in Mysore, India in February 2010, one broadcaster shared
her experience of reporting during a disaster.
A senior
broadcaster based in
Post-disaster Stage:
Following a
disaster a lot of the victims need counselling for their traumas. Programs
aimed to heal victim’s psychology trauma that feature interviews with trauma
counsellors, monks, imams and priests have proved very beneficial. Moreover,
most of the broadcasters felt that along with the communities they too benefit
from trauma healing sessions as they are expected to be rational and to provide
an objective point of view, often done at the expanse of internalising their
traumas and as a result affecting their own health.
Providing
call in or talk-back programs for people to people interactions and special
programs in which victims can express themselves especially women, youth, and
elderly have a healing effect.
Likewise,
establishing support centres for information sharing and logistic distribution
with special section for women and children have led to efficient relief
delivery.
Conclusion
Disasters can
strike suddenly or it can unfold slowly and though it cannot be prevented the
damage can significantly be reduced through disaster management. While many
organisations have shifted the focus of their response to developing effective
strategies towards disaster management, a critical aspect to pay attention to
is how these strategies are able to address the specific needs of vulnerable
groups, particularly women.
To this end,
it is important to recognise the crucial role community radio has to facilitate
a more effective and efficient response to disaster situations. The study
conducted by AMARC gives a clear picture of how community radio has the
potential to minimise and even prevent massive damages that may be brought
about by calamities. Even more important is the potential of community radio to
surface the often invisible and silenced voices of vulnerable groups,
particularly of women, in these scenarios.