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Structural Barriers to Disaster Resilience: Gender I Session 11
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2 Session Objectives Understand how gender relations affect people’s everyday lives Explain how gender relations affect women and men in disaster contexts Relate gender to others social dynamics affecting disaster resilience Understand the relevance of gender to a social vulnerability approach
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Session 113 Significance of Gender Gender identity has biological foundations in sex difference, but is also shaped by other factors Gender patterns vary over the life course Gender norms are interactive Gender stratification structures people’s life opportunities and social status Gender relations are not universally disempowering to women Gender is not a synonym for “women” Gender relations vary historically Gender relations vary culturally
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Session 114 Gender Differences in Everyday Life Put Women and Men Differently at Risk Average life span Division of labor Health status Exposure to violence
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Session 115 Disparities Which Increase Women’s Risk Economic insecurity and higher levels of poverty Extensive caregiving responsibilities Domestic violence Women’s traditional occupations
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Session 116 Gender Differences Which Increase Some Men’s Vulnerability Occupational segregation Internalized masculinity norms Family and household roles
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Session 117 Gendered Life Experiences Which Help Women and Men Cope with Disaster Extensive social networks Caregiving skills Knowledge of local communities Environmental resource users/managers Experience mitigating hazards High levels of risk awareness Traditionally female occupational skills Extensive work and professional contacts Technical skills Limited responsibility for children Traditionally male occupational skills WomenMen
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Session 118 Social Trends Which Increase Women’s Vulnerability Increasing longevity Increasing health problems as women live longer Increasing rate of sole-occupancy Increasing proportions of single-parent families Increasing institutionalization Increasing cut-backs in public assistance Increasing dependence on paid caregivers
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Session 119 Highly Vulnerable Groups Which are Disproportionately Female Battered women housed in shelters Poor families Lower-income disabled Low-income elderly living alone Single parents People housed in insecure housing
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Session 1110 Women in Emergency Management Organizations are Easily Marginalized Women often work as gender tokens in male-dominated agencies Women tend to express ideas more tentatively and work more cooperatively Women are concentrated in lower-status professions Women work in staff rather than line positions Women have restricted task and job assignments Women exercise power and influence informally rather than through official job status Women are less able than men to realize ambitions Women are perceived as less aggressive Women often lack effective mentors Women have fewer opportunities for training Women do not enter the field from military backgrounds
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Session 1111 Unique Contributions of Women to Emergency Management First-hand knowledge of gender differences and inequalities in everyday life Knowledge of how race, class, gender, and age interact to increase vulnerability Knowledge of personal and organizational strength of women and women’s groups Professional background compatible with social vulnerability approach Potentially greater access to local knowledge and resources of grassroots groups Nontraditional sets of skills
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Session 1112 Ways Gender Inequalities Can Be Reinforced Financial relief targeted to heads of households Community consultations marginalize women Women’s work in emergencies based on gender norms Neglect of women’s need for income Neglect of women’s needs in design of emergency/temporary shelters Exclusion of women’s organizations in mitigation or post-disaster initiatives Lack of attention to women living in shelters before disasters Lack of gender-aware initiatives for men
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Session 1113 Ways Gender Inequalities Can Be Challenged Gender-targeted services where appropriate Family-friendly public outreach/employment practices Gender-aware analysis Gender evaluation of all program planning and practices during all disaster phases Avoiding unnecessary gender approaches Gender-inclusive approach to all public meetings Gender equity in emergency agencies Researching disasters from women’s perspectives Gender-sensitive indicators of vulnerability and capacity Gender-disaggregated data whenever possible
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Session 1114 Patterns of Social Vulnerability of Women in the U.S. 34% of women aged 75 or older (vs. 24% of men) have a mobility or self- care limitation Nearly half of elderly women (vs. 14% of men) are widows 75% of nursing home residents are women Women dominate among those who need care and those who provide it Over half of women aged 75 or older live alone 60% of all women over 16 years of age were in the labor force in 1999 51% of married couples with children in 1998 were both employed outside the home 75% of women work full time Women own 35% of all firms, but most are in service and retail sectors; 42% reported before-tax- profits of under $10,000 in 1992 Half of all women-owned businesses in 1992 were home- based Women earn 23% less in income than men 25% of households headed by women lived below the poverty line in 199 (vs. 11% headed by men with no spouse present) Women and children are 2/3 of all legal immigrants to the U.S. today
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