Noticing gender (or not) in disasters

Disaster and poverty : the differential impacts of disaster on the poor in the Gulf Coast region.

“…Poor people are least likely to have access to authentic information ahead of a disaster and least likely to have a dwelling they can go to and stay for days or weeks (Sastry, 2009;Seager, 2005). Often in evacuations, the poor may be at a disadvantage in terms of disaster preparedness due to unemployment, lower incomes, and fixed-finances that preclude specific preparedness behaviors, consequently they are severely affected (Spence, Lachlan, & Burke, 2007).…”

“…In terms of both impacts and capabilities to reduce vulnerability, gender is repeatedly an unseen dimension in disaster scholarship despite general recognition within social sciences that there exists a gendered dimension to the responses to any social event (Basher, 2008;Cupples, 2007;Enarson & Meyreles, 2004;Seager, 2005). In recent years several studies has focused on how men and women are affected and respond differently during disasters (Cupples, 2007;Enarson, 1998;Ginige, Amaratunga, & Haigh, 2009;Horton, 2012;Ikeda, 2009;Oxfam, 2010;Rao, 2006;West & Orr, 2007).…”

“…C. Mutter, 2008;Nishikiori et al, 2006;Pradhan et al, 2007;Seager, 2005Seager, , 2006. Based on sample of 141 countries over the period from 1981 to 2002, Neumayer & Plümper (2007) found that natural disasters lower the life expectancy of women more than that of men which means on average natural disasters and their succeeding impacts kill more women than men or kill women at an earlier age than men.…”

“…Poverty leaves people more vulnerable to disaster that amplifies by the ideologies about gender (Jones-Deweever & Hartmann, 2006;Saroor, 2010;Seager, 2005Seager, , 2006. Poor women can hardly afford quality housing located on raised ground, adequate storage of food which are crucial for self-protection (Cannon, 2002).…”

“…Several disaster studies recurrently document disproportionate effects on women and girls with respect to health and safety, income, social power, human rights, and life (Callaghan et al, 2007;Emily W. Harville, Xu, & Buekens, 2009;Seager, 2006;Soeteman et al, 2008). Due to women's relative lack of power and control in society, they tend to view disaster threats as more risky and they are also more likely to respond to calls for evacuation in comparison to their male counterpart (Brezina, 2008;J.…”