Hey all!
In class we’ve
been discussing women and the gendered effects the environment has on them.
We’ve discussed the collection of resources like wood and water and how women
having to search long and far for hours to find the resources that sustain
their communities and families. This has been really interesting to me because
I had never stopped to think prior on how the environment could be affecting
women and not men in other ways than just reproductive health.
One thing I feel
as though we did not really touch on was the violence women face whenever there
is a natural disaster. Upon doing some research on line there are a couple more
things I hadn’t stopped to think about that I would like to share with you
through this blog post.
According to UN
Women Headquarters,
(http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/end-violence-against-women/2014/environment)
natural disasters can render women more vulnerable to exploitation and
violence. Environmental disasters can also lead to the displacement of
indigenous people and has violent outcomes. It can force dispassion from
ancestral lands that can lead to sexual violence, disappearances of women, and
killings. Natural disasters can also lead to elevated levels of stress and
trauma, which only increases risk factors.
There are things
that can be done to prevent such abuse and keep women safe…
http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2014/11/in-fiji-first-responders-train-to-address-sexual-violence-in-disasters
This article
covers Fiji and how it’s first responders were trained to address sexual
violence during disasters. This came about after a flooding in March of 2012,
that left 8,000 people sheltered in 91 evacuation centers. In one of these
centers, 3 girls were raped. Consequently, the Fiji Red Cross Society created a
program that is mean to address the needs of women and girls in aftermath of
disasters. This program provides whats referred to as “dignity kits” that
include items for women and young girls, hygiene kits for families and psychosocial
support for those who need it. This program is meant to help first
responders recognize gender-based violence and make sure safety concerns for
women are incorporated to disaster-risk reduction plans.
So! I hope that
helped spread a little information about gendered violence during natural
disasters. I’m looking forward to discussing more in class :)
Gabriela
I think this subject is really interesting and needs to be focused on more. I know that before this class I didn't know that women were the ones most effected by natural disasters. The media only covers the aftermath of the natural disaster but never covers the statistics of men vs women who are left behind or have died. The fact that women are at risk for rapes and killings in the aftermath of a natural disaster is disturbing. Especially since women are already at more risk of rape and sexual assault just because of their gender. So therefore, when a natural disaster happens, women are left even more unprotected. In addition, they are exposed to stress and trauma from exposure to this event. It is unfortunate that these things happen to women in these situations, but it is good that they have created a program that encourages safety for these women. The hygiene kits are also a good idea for women in the aftermath of natural disasters. Women have different hygienic needs than men and it’s great that this program takes that into consideration. Overall, I’m glad you brought up this topic because I would not have known otherwise.
ReplyDeleteI think this is interesting and am surprised that we have not touched on this in class. Thanks for sharing the link of the article that covers Fiji and how first responders are trained to address sexual violence during natural disasters. I CAN NOT imagine being a woman who is exposed to such a horrific disaster who may have lost everything, is developing PTSD, anxiety or depression, and then has the potential to be sexually assaulted. I wonder if sexual violence is more likely to happen after a natural disaster
ReplyDeletedue to the scarcity of basic provisions, failure of law enforcement, and failure of the government to help victims. I am curious to do more research to find out if red crosses in other countries besides Fiji have their first responders trained to deal with sexual violence in disasters.