Gender issues in community-based disaster management: A study on flood affected people in Bangladesh

Abstract

Prediction of some studies on global warming and climate change delineate that global warming could bring drastic change in nature and extent of natural disasters. Many areas of the globe will be severely affected by various types of natural disasters. Hence, experts in disaster management, international aid agencies and other stakeholders emphasized that disaster events should be faced with proper plans and programs where participation of the affected people, both male and female, should be ensured. In such a situation, the present study is an attempt to analyze gender issues in disaster management practices embedded in rural society ofBangladesh with specific reference to flood. It identifies the nature of problems faced by the flood victims,and explores the indigenous mechanisms adopted by the people at household level and roles of other stakeholders to combat the flood situation. It examines the nature of people’s gender-specific participation in disaster management activities and explores the factors constructing their responses to flood. It also examines whether women of the flood affected area are merely passive victims of flood or their problems are addressed properly and their roles are considered as an important contribution in managing natural disaster event like flood. In achieving the defined objective and responding to above-mentioned question, a mixed method approach was followed in this study. Data were collected from 408 samples, of whom 204 were men and 204 were women, selected by using mixed method sampling procedure. A survey with face to face interview was conducted. Primary data were also collected through focus group discussions(FGDs), and non-participantand direct observations to increase the validity of data through triangulation. Data were also collected from key informants to supplement the survey data. However, both qualitative and quantitative data analysis approaches were followed to analyze the collected data. From the findings, it appears that problems faced by the flood victims and strategies adopted to combat the situation are gender identical. Flood affects women more severely than men because of their gender-specific needs and responsibilities that become much more difficult to perform during flood. Although GAs and NGOs provide some services in addressing women’s problems that are not sufficient compared to their needs. However, data indicate that women’s participation in disaster management activities and decision-making process is constrained by prevalent gendered norms. But it is important to mention that despite the existing barriers, sprung from the gendered norms of rural Bangladesh, a significant number of women are found to participatein training and awareness-building programs. Consequently, the study investigates which factors influence their participation. The study finds that women’s participation is associated with socioeconomic factors such as age, educational qualification, household income, and organizational involvement. It appears that the male members of the family and society do not simply dominate women by assigning additional workload to them during and in the aftermath of floods rather they acknowledge their (women’s)rolesas a valuable contribution in combating flood-induced problems. It indicates the social transformation of power-based hierarchical relationship with reciprocity and mutuality as their contribution was not recognized earlier. However, GAs and NGOs provide various types of services for preparedness, response to and recover from flood induced disasters that indicate the GA-NGO partnership in every phase of disaster management. But the services are confined to distributing relief items, and constructing and repairing kancha roads and other infrastructure. None of the organizations are found to organize the flood-affected community and assess the needs, strengths and weaknesses of the community before or after floodsfor adopting a risk management plan for better adaptation of the flood victims. It indicates that the GA-NGO collaboration in Bangladesh yet achieved the goal of shifting disaster management paradigm from conventional emergency response to disaster risk management. But it is on way to achieve the defined goals as GAs and NGOs have already adopted and implemented some programs in accordance with the philosophical notion of Alternative Perspective of disaster management. In addition, although majority of the flood-affected people of the study area receive GA-NGO support services finally they follow indigenous strategies such as selling assets, receiving assistance and borrowing from non-institutional sources such as friends, relatives and neighbors, changing eating behavior and occupation and so on to combat the situation created by flood. Therefore, the study proposes some mechanisms to empower the community at risk and enhance the resiliency of the flood prone areas like Bangladeshfrom a pro-poor and pro-women socioeconomic development intervention perspective.