The study of vulnerability constitutes a central axis in research work on sustainability. Social vulnerability (SV) analyzes differences in human capacity to prepare, respond and recover from the impact of a natural hazard. Although disasters threaten all the people who suffer from them, they do not affect all members of society in the same way. Social and economic inequalities make certain groups more vulnerable. Factors such as age, sex, social class and ethnic identity increase vulnerability to a natural disaster. Ten years after the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, this work deepens the relationship between natural disasters, SV and gender, exploring the unequal distribution of the SV in the face of a seismic risk. The source of statistical information has been obtained from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), developed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Multicriteria decision techniques (TOPSIS) and the differences in differences (DID) technique are used to analyze variations in gender inequality in SV as a result of the catastrophic event. The results obtained reinforce the idea of the negative impact of the disaster on the SV. Additionally, an intensification of the negative effects is observed when the household is headed by a woman, increasing the gap in SV between households headed by women and the rest of the households. The conclusions obtained show additional evidence of the negative effects caused by natural disasters on women, and important implications for disaster risk management are derived that should not be ignored.

The second international comparison of absolute gravimeters was held in Walferdange, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, in November 2007, in which twenty absolute gravimeters took part. A short description of the data processing and adjustments will be presented here and will be followed by the presentation of the results. Two different methods were applied to estimate the relative offsets between the gravimeters. We show that the results are equivalent as the uncertainties of both adjustments overlap. The absolute gravity meters agree with one another with a standard deviation of 2 μgal (1 gal = 1 cm/s 2 ). In 1999, a laboratory ( Fig. 5.1) dedicated to the comparison of absolute gravimeters was built within the WULG. The laboratory lies 100 m below the surface at a distance of 300 m from the entrance of the mine. The WULG is environmentally stable (i.e., constant temperature and humidity within the lab), and is extremely well isolated from anthropogenic noise. It has the power and space requirements to be able to accommodate up 16 instruments operating simultaneously. IntroductionMultiple absolute gravimeter comparisons are regularly carried out. Being absolute instruments, these gravimeters cannot really be calibrated. Only some of their components (such as the atomic clock and the laser) can be calibrated by comparison with known standards. The only way one currently has to verify their good working order is via a simultaneous comparison with other absolute gravimeters of the same and/or if possible even of a different model, to detect possible systematic errors.During a comparison, we cannot estimate how accurate the meters are: in fact, as we have no way to know the true value of g, we can only investigate the relative offsets between instruments. This means that all instruments can suffer from the same unknown and undetectable systematic error. However, differences larger than the uncertainty of the measurements, is usually indicative of a possible systematic error.For the second comparison in Walferdange, a few new procedures have been introduced. First, some of the participants accepted to take part in a

OBJECTIVE Analyze the contextual and individual characteristics that explain the differences in the induced abortion rate, temporally and territorially.METHODS We conducted an econometric analysis with panel data of the influence of public investment in health and per capita income on induced abortion as well as a measurement of the effect of social and economic factors related to the labor market and reproduction: female employment, immigration, adolescent fertility and marriage rate. The empirical exercise was conducted with a sample of 22 countries in Europe for the 2001-2009 period.RESULTS The great territorial variability of induced abortion was the result of contextual and individual socioeconomic factors. Higher levels of national income and investments in public health reduce its incidence. The following sociodemographic characteristics were also significant regressors of induced abortion: female employment, civil status, migration, and adolescent fertility.CONCLUSIONS Induced abortion responds to sociodemographic patterns, in which the characteristics of each country are essential. The individual and contextual socioeconomic inequalities impact significantly on its incidence. Further research on the relationship between economic growth, labor market, institutions and social norms is required to better understand its transnational variability and to reduce its incidence.

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Although disasters threaten all people who experience them, they do not affect all members of society in the same way. Its effects are not solely restricted to the economic sphere; they also affect the physical and mental health of those who suffer from them, having a particular impact on women and limiting their life chances. The aim of this study was to examine the impact the 2010 Haiti earthquake had on the seropositivity of female survivors. Method: Using data from the Demographic and Health Survey, this study examines the impact of the 2010 Haiti earthquake on gender relations associated with the probability of being HIV positive through the differences-in-differences strategy. Results: A differential of four percentage points is observed in the probability of HIV seropositivity between men and women, favoring men. Additionally, it is observed that the probability of seropositivity intensifies when the cohabitation household is headed by a woman. Conclusion: Disasters are not indifferent to the gender of the people affected. In the second decade of the 21st century, the conclusions obtained show, once again, the need for incorporating the gender perspective into the management of natural hazards in the field of health. This is the case of the differential exposure to HIV after the earthquake in Haiti.