WUNRN
THE PHILIPPINES - POWERFUL
TYPHOON - WOMEN VICTIMS - PAINFUL LOSSES - SHATTERED HOMES, LIVES, DREAMS
On the news, round the clock, we see
the devastation of Typhoon
Haiyan in The Philippines. Yes, there were Early Warnings. But, who gets hurt
the most in natural disasters - the extremely poor of whom women are the
majority, with easily destroyed housing and possessions, and fewer quick
evacuation options. There are intersectionalities that enhance the
vulnerability of women as searching for children, old age, disabilities,
pregnancy, illness. It is the women who try to save
family, loved ones, vs. possessions. It is the women who try to keep hope and
calm amidst enormous natural destruction. Long after the news has moved on, it
is the women who try to find ways for the family to survive, to recover as much
as possible, to try to find resilience.
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November
9, 2013 - The powerful typhoon that just swept across the Philippines, one of
the strongest storms ever to make landfall, cut a path of destruction through
Philippine central islands.
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WOMEN
HIT HARD BY NATURAL DISASTERS
International Museum of Women -
Women Thrive Worldwide
WOMEN, NATURAL DISASTERS, CHALLENGES
TO RECONSTRUCT LIVES
Natural
disasters devastate entire communities. During and after these disasters, women
and children suffer the most.
Natural
disasters and the ensuing relocation and reconstruction efforts present unique
challenges to women in developing countries. Successful relief and rebuilding
strategies must anticipate these obstacles in order to minimize danger to
women’s safety and leverage their potential to contribute to the redevelopment
of their communities and countries.
In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, threats to women’s physical safety
increase exponentially.
Violence Against Women - The trauma of a
natural disaster exposes the strengths and weaknesses in relationships, and a
dramatic rise in violence against women consistently follows the advent of
natural disasters. In Nicaragua 27% of female survivors and 21% of male
survivors of Hurricane Mitch reported increased violence within the family.
Similar trends were reported in the Philippines after the eruption of Mt.
Pinatubo. Even in developed countries, violence against women increases in the
wake of a natural disaster. Following the Loma Prieta earthquake in California,
reported sexual assault rose by 300%.
Inability
to Meet Basic Needs - Women
are the majority of the world’s poor, and even in good times, many rely upon
assistance to supplement their below-subsistence incomes. Disaster disrupts the
flow of regular assistance threatening women’s ability to care for themselves
and their children. In Gujurat, India for example, many women depended on the
provision of shakti packets to help meet their basic daily nutritional needs.
Distribution stopped temporarily after the earthquake cutting women off from
one of their sources of subsistence. Similarly, women in several Gujarati
villages reported that the earthquake abruptly terminated their healthcare.
The gendered nature of disaster continues into the
reconstruction phase as women and families seek out new ways to make ends meet.
Women Heading Households - Natural disasters leave many women in charge of both household
duties and supporting their families. In addition to widows who become wholly
responsible for their children and elderly family members, wives head their
households when their husbands migrate to find employment.
As the primary caretakers in most developing countries, women experience an
expansion of their household responsibilities after a disaster. Displaced
family members seek refuge with those who have already resettled, and women
face the challenge of providing for their growing families while access to
resources dwindles. In particular, women struggle to provide water. Disasters
tend to damage water systems, and women, who are chiefly responsible for
transporting water, tend to spend more time gathering water.
Job Loss and Poverty - Women’s
livelihoods tend to be very resource dependent. Therefore, when disaster
destroys natural resources, women loose their source of income. For example, in
Gujarat, India, many women found employment in the agricultural sector. When
the earthquake hit in 2001, underground hydrological systems shifted resulting
in contamination of the soil. Agriculture became less profitable, driving down
the demand for workers with the types of skills that women had developed.
No Social Safety Nets - While
women often find ways to cope with poverty prior to disasters, their solutions
cannot withstand intensified poverty and reintegration into new communities.
For example, women in Gujarat, India began savings groups that would provide
small loans to members. However, after the earthquake, women reported that the
availability of loans decreased.
The Cycle of Poverty - Disasters
intensify women’s poverty and increase their workload making it harder for them
to access the types of resources and training they need to transition into
sustainable livelihoods.
Homelessness and Property Rights - The
right to own property helps women, and especially widows and girl orphans,
endure natural disasters and reestablish lives for themselves and their
families. If women do not have the right to own property, they can loose their
homes and fields. In Pakistan, a researcher documents a case in which a male
family invoked Sharia Law so that he could inherit his deceased relative’s
land. The widow and her two daughters found themselves homeless.
Trafficking and the Sale of Girl Children - Faced with the possibility of starvation,
impoverished families have made choices that trade girls’ futures for immediate
survival. A Pakistani newspaper reported that in Baluchistan, Pakistan, a man
sold his 15-year old daughter for a few hundred rupees to feed the rest of his
family.