The Foreign Service Journal, June 2006

Less ability to migrate for employment. Due to home, child and/or elderly care issues, women are less mobile generally. But inadequate post-disaster shelter (for cooking, bathing, etc.) leaves women with even less freedom and mobility to look for work. Loss of “bargaining position” in households. When a woman’s household possessions and other eco- nomic resources are taken away in a disaster, her social position and authority also decline. Heightened perception of disaster risk. Because girls and women generally perceive disaster threats as more serious than do men, they suffer more distress and emotional disorders in their aftermath, according to stud- ies by the World Health Organization. However, it should be noted that overall declines in emotional well-being may be due to expanded post-disaster caregiving roles. Significant increases in domestic and sexual vio- lence. In the wake of a loss of social authority following a natural calamity (such as a police force), women are left unprotected from crimes like rape, violence, theft and other forms of exploitation. Greater risk of being/becoming sole economic providers. Following a disaster, a woman is more likely to be left responsible for family members and children. Higher dependence on social services. In their roles as family caretakers, women rely heavily on schools, clinics, child-care centers and public services, as well as water, fuel (wood), crops and other natural resources. These assets tend to be disrupted by natural disasters. Social isolation. In general, women have less free time, personal autonomy and less knowledge of how to access emergency assistance or capacity to do so. Low representation in emergency management organizations and professions. This disparity leaves women less visible in the mainstream “malestream” of high-level emergency management decision-making roles. Health issues. Due to inadequate (or nonexistent) OB/GYN health care and reproductive control, after a dis- aster women suffer more infections, premature births, malnutrition, unwanted pregnancies and pregnancy losses. Yet this lengthy list of risk factors may well give only half of the picture. While women are severely affected by nat- F O C U S J U N E 2 0 0 6 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 45