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Material Information

Title:
Women Leadership in Disaster Risk Management
Creator:
NIRAPAD
Oxfam GB
Disaster Risk Reduction Program, Florida International University (DRR/FIU) ( summary contributor )
Publisher:
Oxfam Publishing
Publication Date:
Copyright Date:
2011
Language:
English

Subjects

Subjects / Keywords:
Risk management ( lcsh )
Women disaster victims ( lcsh )
Gender issues ( lcsh )
Genre:
handbook ( marcgt )
non-fiction ( marcgt )

Notes

Summary:
This handbook aims to increase public awareness of the critical importance of women in disaster risk management. Though the study focuses on Bangladesh, the information imparted is applicable to all disaster-prone developing countries where gender inequality is the rule. The handbook is composed of six chapters. After a brief introductory chapter, the second, third, and fourth chapters focus on identifying the risk environment, its management, and emergency response. The handbook pays particular attention to the role of women in each of these processes, emphasizing how it is absolutely necessary that women play an active role in decision-making processes if disaster risks are to be managed effectively. It first outlines the various ways that women are more vulnerable than men during and after disasters. It then turns toward an examination of the various roles women have in disaster preparedness at the societal and family levels. In the fifth chapter, the handbook outlines how the division of labor between men and women in developing societies produces the marginalization of women, with women often engaged in labor that is not recognized and rewarded as valuable by the broader society. This subordination of women produces conditions where women have less control over their lives and little involvement in decision-making processes, making them more vulnerable to disaster. This discrimination against women leads to lower lifesaving skills, less disaster support, and more exposure to violence following disaster (p.39). Despite the lower status of women in many societies, they are often critical to disaster response and recovery efforts. They are central to putting households back in order, nursing those injured, and consoling those traumatized by disaster events. The sixth chapter presents various ways to enhance women’s leadership in DRR. There are several ways to promote women’s leadership at the institutional level: by involving women in risk analysis at the village level; by promoting women’s membership in local risk management committees; involving women in relief distribution planning; and promoting more women as managers in disaster management systems (p.42). Women’s leadership in society can be promoted by: changing attitudes towards women and challenging social discrimination against women through public education campaigns; and by highlighting how women contribute to DRR around the world. ( English )
Subject:
Disaster Risk Management ( English )
Citation/Reference:
(2011). Women leadership in disaster risk management (Handbook). Network for Information, Response and Preparedness Activities on Disaster (NIRAPAD), Oxfam.

Record Information

Source Institution:
Florida International University
Rights Management:
Refer to main document/publisher for use rights.

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Aggregations:
Disaster Risk Reduction