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Mainstreaming Gender in Disaster Risk Reduction
Makerere University BACE /2015 Joseph Watuleke Gender and Disaster Risk Reduction
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Four questions Why Gender in DRR ?
What is Gender Mainstreaming in DRR ? How to mainstream gender in the National Mechanism on DRR ? What next ?
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Why Gender in DRR ?
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Gender Gender is not Women or Men and women
Gender is not sex - which refers to biology and physically anatomy as determined by internal and external sex organs Gender means socially determined roles female or male are expected play in a society Gender is central organizing principle in human life Gender roles vary within and among cultures and evolve over time
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Why gender in disaster? Gender shapes social worlds within which natural events occur The social worlds are culturally constructed Culturally constructed social worlds discriminates against women Multiple discriminations – physical, social, economic, psychological - make women more vulnerable in disasters
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Spiral of vulnerabilities - Physical
Women are less strong than men due to various factors - Biological constitution - Reproductive functions - Nutritional deficiencies - Social construction
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Social vulnerability Social role of women in different stage of their life cycle – as daughter, wife and mother – make them dependent on others Such dependence create environment of discrimination against women in almost every walk of life Demography – asymmetrical gender pyramid Health – nutritional and health deficiency Education – gender gap in education Decision making – marginal role in society and politics Violence against women
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Economic vulnerability
Poor work participation rate of women Lower wage rate for women Women crowd informal sector Women’s unpaid work – in extended SNA activities Women’s work in care economy
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Psychological vulnerability
Women are emotionally more attached to their families Loss of children affects them more Loss of household goods and livelihood make them helpless Women are less aggressive and have less opportunity to express their emotions Women get more traumatized in disasters
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Disaster accentuates vulnerability of women
Women suffer more casualties than men in disasters – in deaths as well as injuries Women suffer more psycho-social trauma Burden of work of women increases sharply Care functions of women expands drastically Number of women headed household go up Female drop out rates in schools go up Violence against women goes up sharply
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Disaster undermines capacity of women
Women have intimate knowledge of family and community life and tradition Women are excellent risk managers Women play active and creative role in coping with crisis situations Women play the most important role in caring for the victims and in recovering from disasters These capacities of women are not recognized and optimally utilized for reducing the risks of disasters
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What is Gender Mainstreaming ?
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Its is a principle… Gender equality and affirmative discrimination are enshrined in constitutional and legal systems of many countries It finds a prominent place in Universal Declaration of Human Rights Most nations are also committed to the Convention the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
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A strategy… Gender mainstreaming is a key strategy for implementing the principle of gender equality It makes disaster management more inclusive by integrating women's as well as men's concerns and experiences in design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes on DRR It makes disaster management more efficient by utilizing the strength and capabilities of women It facilitates implementation of national policies on empowerment of women
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A process…. Gender mainstreaming is the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in any area and at all levels that help reduce the risk of disaster The process is slow, complex and complicated but it must go on with more commitment, greater vigilance and continuous monitoring and evaluation
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How to mainstream Gender in the National Mechanism on DRR ?
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Participation of women in DRR at all levels
1. Formalize mechanisms for adequate representation of women in the National Platform Involve women with technical and professional skills in the areas of family, health, violence, education, employment and environment Map women’s development and grassroots organizations active in high risk areas as a first step to engaging them as active and equal stakeholders
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Gender based analysis of risks and vulnerabilities
2. Gender based analysis of risks and vulnerabilities Collect gender disaggregated data and conduct gender based analysis of risks, vulnerabilities, capacities, communication and early warning systems Make special arrangements vulnerable groups: Older women and men Women and men with disabilities Pregnant and nursing women Women with small children Children and adolescent girls
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Training and capacity building
3. Strengthen leadership capacity of local girls and women through support for women-to-women peer training and other innovative models developed by women’s groups active in disasters Identify gaps and opportunities for increasing sensitivity to gender issues in DRR Develop context specific gender and disaster training modules and make these widely available Build gender benchmarks and indicators into all aspects of project planning, monitoring and evaluation
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Livelihood, health and other related issues
4. Livelihood, health and other related issues Plan livelihood interventions that reflect women’s vulnerability to disasters and the active roles of girls and women can play as users and managers of environmental resources Assess and compensate damages of assets informal sector in disasters Strengthen capacity of micro-finance systems to meet the needs of girls and women working in the informal sector
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Ensure women’s rights of ownership and tenancy over immoveable assets
Meet specific health and psycho-social needs of women and girls Protect women, girls and boys from gender based violence, trafficking and other offences during and after disasters Ensure safety of women in relief camps Provide social safety net to widows, orphans, single headed households etc
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Disaster preparedness and recovery
5. Disaster preparedness and recovery Involve women in disaster preparedness planning and risk management specially at the community levels Support women-led and community based disaster resistant construction programmes Make women partners in all phases of disaster management Encourage research on differential needs and vulnerabilities of women in disasters
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What next ?
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Some progress, many gaps
Very strong empirical evidences and practical tools have been developed for mainstreaming gender issues in disaster risk reduction Some progress have been achieved in some countries and communities Yet women’s voices are still marginalized in a largely male dominated emergency management system This Global Platform gives us an opportunity to introspect, interact and renew our commitment for a safer world for women and men
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“As a woman you don’t collapse because the world around you
collapses. You keep going” Wangari Maathai, 2004
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“To call woman the weaker sex is a libel; it is man's injustice to woman. If by strength is meant brute strength, then, indeed, is woman less brute than man. If by strength is meant moral power, then woman is immeasurably man's superior.
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Has she not greater intuition, is she not more self-sacrificing, has she not greater powers of endurance, has she not greater courage? Without her man could not be. If non-violence is the law of our being, the future is with woman. Who can make a more effective appeal to the heart than woman?” Mahatma Gandhi
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Thank you
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