The article focuses on gender identity and subjectivity in a disaster process in order to expose the complex issues with women's response to a disaster. The article focuses on Hurricane Mitch in Nicaragua. Cupples stresses the importance of acknowledging the survivors life experiences and social or political positioning. Each experience is gendered in different ways. It may explain why some women will feel empowered and some will feel more victimised. Cupples believes it is more important to focus on how women feel and react to the results post disaster versus what the disaster does to women.