Gender Patterns in Flood Evacuation: A Case Study in Canada's Red River Valley.
Author:
Enarson, E. & Scanlon, J.
Date:
1999
Language:
English
Region:
North America
Country:
Canada
Full Harvard Reference:
Enarson, E. & Scanlon, J. (1999). Gender Patterns in Flood Evacuation: A Case Study in Canada's Red River Valley. Applied behavioural Science Review, Vol. 7. No. 2, p103-124.
In this study, Enarson and Scanlon carry out a comparative analysis of gender and disaster, focusing on the 1997 Red River Valley flood in Manitoba. To gain a more in-depth understanding on the explicit gendered social experiences within family relationships during and post disasters, Enarson and Scanlon focus on evacuation and caregiving responsibilities. 41 residents were interviewed five months after the 1997 flood, all of whom were evacuated. In this study, women who evacuated were not jeopardised by gender inequalities and did not experience any bias or sexual and/or domestic violence. However, the flood experiences of the evacuated couples did highlight underlying disadvantages for women. This was due to the division of labour and male dominance and authority which was affirmed during the flood, whereas the work of women during and after the flood remained invisible.