Gender and Disaster Knowledgebase

GDN encourages its members to share resources on gender and disaster risk reduction and related topics. In this page, you will find links to the latest gender and disaster news as well as bibliographies, papers, guidelines and other materials shared by GDN members and affiliates.

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Children, Youths and Environment Journal. Volume 18, Number 1. 2008. This special issue examines the vulnerability and resilience of children and youth before, during and after disasters. It contains a unique collection of 20 papers from around the world, an annotated compilation of resources, four book reviews, and a media review. Access to the Journal varies for high-, middle-, low-income countries. Please visit the website at: http://www.colorado.edu/journals/cye/paymentrequest_current.htm#

Rape in Burma: A Weapon of War. An article written by Cheery Zahau which highlights the situation of women and children in a country ruled by the military junta. The stories remain undocumented for a long time, however, organisations such as the Women’s League of Chinland have started to interview and tell the stories of the rape survivors in Burma. Read the full article from The Women's International Perspective website: http://thewip.net/contributors/2008/06/rape_in_burma_a_weapon_of_war.html

Paying Homage to Women's Roles in Peace and Disarmament. A major source of devastation, human suffering and poverty, war affects all aspects of economic, social and political life. And over time, the nature of warfare itself has changed - it is no longer soldiers who suffer the largest number of casualties, but civilians. In World War I, just 14 percent of deaths were civilian; today, that number has risen to over 75 percent. The nature of the battlefield has changed as well - no longer fought in remote battlefields between armies, wars now rage in our homes, schools, our communities and increasingly on women’s bodies. May 24th is celebrated globally as International Women’s Day for Peace and Disarmament. This article was written in honour of the many women who have campaigned tirelessly for global peace. Binalakshmi Nepram Mentschel, 24 May 2007 re-published 24 May 2008 in The Women's International Perspective website: http://thewip.net/contributors/2008/05/paying_homage_to_womens_roles.html

Assisting Pregnant Women to Prepare for Disaster. Disasters are natural or (hu)man-made life-altering events that require preplanning to save lives. Pregnant women are a particularly vulnerable population in such events, because they have special physical and psychosocial needs. Preparations made for labor and birth might have to be drastically altered in the event of an emergency, especially if a woman is separated from her familiar healthcare providers and facilities. The issue of breastfeeding also must be considered in disaster planning for pregnant women, along with occurrences such as food shortages and outbreak of illnesses caused by overcrowding of displaced persons. Recent events such as hurricane Katrina have demonstrated that maternal/child nurses need to become more aware of disaster planning and help to empower pregnant women with knowledge of how to handle their special needs in times of crisis. American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing. 33(2):98-103, March/April 2008. Ewing, Bonnie PhD, RN; Buchholtz, Susan EdD, ACNP; Rotanz, Richard MS. http://www.mcnjournal.com (Subscription required)

"Rethinking Disasters. Why Death and destruction is not nature’s fault but human failure." A destructive combination of earthquakes, floods, droughts and other hazards make South Asia is the world’s most disaster-prone region. The effects are aggravated by climate change, unsuitable social and development policies, and environmental degradation. The effect is to slow or block development and keep millions trapped in poverty.  It does not have to be this way. Oxfam's experience shows that successful disaster risk reduction policies, integrated into development work, save lives and money, making vulnerable communities more resilient and protecting development gains. This report examines how to achieve those goals – and the cost of failure. Published 2008 by Oxfam India. Download the full article from Oxfam's website: http://www.oxfam.org.uk

“Controversial appointment of UNIFEM Executive Director.” – Resource Net, AWID. The appointment of Spain's Inés Alberdi as UNIFEM's Executive Director last week has attracted significant interest, with mixed reactions from different women's rights activists and organizations. Rochelle Jones from AWID explores some of the initial responses to Alberdi's appointment, and highlights the main issues raised. Download and read the full article in Word (41KB)

“Disasters caused by human failures not nature” – Oxfam India. "The Kashmir earthquake killed 75,000 people. That's more than twelve times as many people as died in Japan's Great Hanshin earthquake, which was of similar strength," says Oxfam's regional director for South Asia, Ashvin Dayal. "Why? Poverty, exclusion, inequality, and unsuitable policies raise risks for poor people, women, and minorities especially." Read more from Oxfam’s website: http://www.oxfam.org.uk

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