Disasters:  From
vulnerability to resilience and recovery

The winds are
picking up and the sea appears increasingly angry. What is coming?  Does your community know? Have your local
leaders a plan for such a situation? Yes? Then you will probably survive. No?
Then you are likely to be among the women and children who will die at between
four and fourteen times the rate of men as the super storm sweeps across your
nation.

Knowing the
risks and being prepared by having a community action plan into which community
leaders including women have had some input plays a significant role in the
survival and resilience of any community. It is estimated that it will take 72
hours for significant international help to arrive after a disaster and those
three days are vital for the survival and treatment of the injured, the
homeless, hungry and thirsty. Having local leaders who have a plan of action is
important but how can an effective plan be achieved?

The Economic
Intelligence Unit of the Australian Government and ActionAid Australia have
undertaken extensive consultation in the South Asia region where two thirds of
victims in the last decade have been located. 80% of refugees or internally
displaced have been women and girls and displacement has exacerbated existing
inequalities. Violence, poor access to aid and services, lack of sexual and
reproductive health information have all impacted upon women and hence made
resilience and recovery more complex.

The result has been the South Asia Women’s Disaster
Index which has examined local, national and economic disasters and produced 68
indicators to predict impact. More than 46% of these are gender sensitive especially
in regards to mitigation and recovery. Its aim is to shift the emphasis from
vulnerability to resilience and recovery. Further documents assessing
communities and suggesting practical solutions or approaches for communities
are planned. Much of this work would be applicable in other regions which are
disaster prone.

The impact on
communities is both immediate and long term and often it is women who bear the
brunt. Girls are often pulled out of school and the economic impact of this on
the entire nation is well documented. General health and well being may
decline, violence and crime can increase and opportunities for economic
empowerment of women will often disappear as survival takes priority.

 Research by a number of agencies and NGOS has
found that the speed of recovery and the well being of women and girls is
increased if communities are the drivers of solutions, consideration of the
needs of women and girls particularly in regards to the prevention of violence
and their sexual and reproductive needs is met, a government structure exists,
there are gender sensitive responses and there is accountability to the
population.

 A number of groups agreed that organisations
should be advocating on behalf of women for greater action by governments on
climate change, a genuine commitment to gender equality, networking to improve
our impact, listening to the voices of those who suffer and advocating for
equitable management of resources.