Gender-based vulnerabilities for women during natural disasters in Bangladesh

Frontiers in Communication

Communication

Shahidul Islam¹  Kim Usher¹  Syadani Riyad Fatema²  Leah East³ 

[1] School of Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia;School of Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia;Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh;School of Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia;School of Nursing and Midwifery, Health, Engineering & Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD, Australia;

关键词: women;    gender;    natural disasters;    Bangladesh;    vulnerabilities;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fcomm.2023.1180406

 received in 2023-03-06, accepted in 2023-04-24,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

IntroductionFactors that negatively impact women's disaster experiences include poor disaster preparedness, lack of access to a safe place, displacement worries, distance from shelters, risk of abuse in shelters, poverty, and low cultural position of women in rural Bangladesh. This study aimed to give voice to women who experienced gender-based vulnerabilities during natural disasters.MethodsThe research was conducted with women in the two disaster-prone areas utilizing a qualitative approach. Women, aged 18 years or above, who were permanent residents of the selected disaster-prone areas and have experienced one or more disasters, were invited to participate in the study. Twenty-four women volunteered to participate. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interview recordings containing questions on sociodemographic characteristics and open-ended questions to assess gender-based vulnerabilities during disasters; data were analyzed using thematic analysis techniques.ResultsOne main theme and six sub-themes emerged from the analysis. Women were often in the middle of making life choices between the risk of being abused and death in disasters. Shelters lacked privacy, heightened the risk of abuse, and women faced social stigma if displaced from their homes during a disaster. The women also experienced health risks because of inadequate hygiene and poor living arrangements such as a lack of adequate shelters, toilet facilities, and secure gender-segregated living arrangements if relocation was essential during a disaster.DiscussionFindings from this study provide guidance to policymakers and disaster aid organizations on disaster preparedness and post-disaster facilities to address the socio-cultural needs of rural women in disaster-prone areas of Bangladesh.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Fatema, East, Islam and Usher.