Women, Gender and Disaster Risk Communication

Purpose

This note looks at the importance of gender in disaster risk communication. It provides a brief overview of Save the Children’s gender-targeted communication strategy in two Cuban communities.

Overview

  • Disaster risk communication and warnings miss the mark if overly-general and not informed by gender-aware risk assessments and community-driven preparedness. Disaster communication must be creative, sensitive to culture and context, and also gender-targeted, based on knowledge of how particular groups of women and men create, receive, interpret and exchange knowledge about hazards and disasters. Women must speak for themselves and be heard.
  • Women’s and men’s daily lives revolve around social networks, roles and relationships that make a difference to disaster risk communicators.
  • Men’s higher tolerance of risk calls for male-focused communication and awareness strategies. Gender norms shaping risk perception and risk tolerance may be a barrier to potentially life-saving information for boys, male youth and adult men about hazards to which they are especially exposed.
  • Gender-based and cultural barriers limit women’s access to vital information. The “digital divide” in access to, and control over, computers and the internet is still a barrier to reaching women in many parts of the world.

 

Usage: Guidance for project implementation

Audiences: Communication staff

Reference: Gender and Disaster Network. (October 2009). Women, gender and disaster risk communication. Gender Note #5. Pp. 1-4. Available from: https://www.gdnonline.org/resources/GDN_GenderNote5_RiskCommunication.pdf. [Accessed: 19th September 2015].

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Download: https://www.rcrc-resilience-southeastasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/GDN_GenderNote5_RiskCommunication.pdf

Gender and Diversity in Emergencies – Quick and Easy Steps for Accountability to Affected People

Purpose

This poster looks at the steps for accountability to affected people in assessments and monitoring; shelter and gender-based violence.

Overview

  • In assessments and monitoring, the steps involve: guaranteeing gender balance in the assessment team; speaking directly with affected women, men, boys and girls (separately if needed) about their needs, and priorities; collecting and recording data broken down by age and sex; analysing data and monitoring implementation; and asking questions – who, what, how and which.
  • In shelter, the steps involve: consulting women, men, boys and girls (including people with disabilities, and the elderly) in shelter design; appointing a gender-balanced evacuation centre or shelter committee; using the assessment approach mentioned above for shelter programming; ensuring that survivors/victims of sexual violence have shelter needs met based on their needs; considering vulnerability in distributions; implementing a mechanism for making confidential complaints; and liaising with protection actors on whether discriminatory land-ownership policies exist.
  • In gender-based violence, the steps involve: recruiting staff and volunteers in a manner that will discourage sexual exploitation and abuse; ensuring that all staff and volunteers are briefed on the code of conduct; linking with protection teams to establish how you will refer survivors/victims of gender based violence to relevant support services; implementing mechanisms for making confidential complaints; ensuring that survivors of gender-based violence have safe access to shelter; ensuring that health services and community based psychological and social support are provided for survivors of sexual violence; and disseminating information about available services for survivors of violence or women/children presently experiencing domestic violence.

Usage: Guidance for project implementation

Themes: Risk assessment, Community-based or community participation, Gender-based violence, Mental health and psychosocial needs, Shelter, Human resources, Accountability to beneficiaries, Gender, Age (elderly), Age (children/youth)

Audiences: Technical staff; Gender and diversity practitioners

Reference: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies & The Vanuatu Red Cross Society. Gender and diversity in emergencies: Quick and easy steps for accountability to affected people.p.1.

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Download: https://www.rcrc-resilience-southeastasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Gender_Diversity-Poster-HR-2.pdf

Equity and Inclusion in Disaster Risk Reduction: Building Resilience for All

Purpose

This paper attempts to address some of the shortcomings of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) and to move the debate beyond the simplistic focus of including vulnerable groups within disaster risk reduction (DRR) policy-making. By promoting socio-economic and cultural inclusion as well as the political recognition of marginalised people, this paper provides examples of where their participation as active agents of change has proven beneficial in effectively and equitably building resilience.

The paper also makes the case for increased attention to the wider issues of vulnerability, inclusion and empowerment. In this respect it focuses on four main aspects: marginalised groups are more likely to suffer from disasters; disasters exacerbate vulnerabilities and social inequalities; vulnerable groups tend to be excluded from DRR decision-making, thus making them even more vulnerable to the impacts of disasters; and vulnerable groups should be included in DRR as active agents of change to effectively and equitably build resilience.

Overview

Poor living conditions, inadequate infrastructure, a lack of income diversification and limited access to basic services, especially education and information, ensure that the poorest and most marginalised people are disproportionately affected by disasters. Committing to address the root causes of disasters will help to address peoples’ underlying vulnerabilities, increase their capacities to cope with the effects of natural hazards and facilitate empowerment processes. This can be achieved by the equal participation of all segments of society in DRR decisions.

Usage: Policy development

Audiences: National Society leadership; Technical staff

Reference: United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (April 2004). Making Risky Environments Safer. Women 2000 and beyond. Published by the Division for the Advancement of Women/DESA. Pp.1-28. Available from: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/public/w2000-natdisasters-e.pdf [Accessed: 19th September 2015].

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Download: http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/CDKN-Equity-and-inclusion-in-disaster-risk-reduction-building-resilience-for-all1.pdf

Gender-Inclusive Disaster Risk Management

Purpose

This paper looks at key gender issues in disaster-risk management, gender-inclusive assessments, gender-design elements in strengthening disaster resilience, and gender-design elements in disaster recovery assistance. It includes case studies from Pakistan, Aceh in Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

Overview

  • Key gender issues include: disaster impacts are not gender-neutral; gender roles can change in disaster settings; gendered response can reduce long-term social consequences; and women as agents of change for disaster-risk reduction and strengthening resilience.
  • Features of a gender-inclusive assessment include: gender-differentiated target groups; sex-disaggregated data; data collectors representative of target population; culturally appropriate and participatory methodology; gender-sensitive training; and additional preparation.
  • Gender design elements in strengthening disaster resilience include: strengthening disaster resilience/gender-inclusive disaster resilience at the national level/community level; and capacity building and project management.
  • Gender design elements in disaster recovery assistance include: community infrastructure reconstruction; water supply and sanitation; housing reconstruction; livelihood restoration programmes; rural roads reconstruction; health service; and education.

Usage: Learning from experience

Audiences: Technical staff; Gender and diversity practitioners

Reference: Asian Development Bank. (February 2014). Gender-inclusive disaster risk management. Pp. 1-12. Available from:http://www.adb.org/documents/tip-sheet-gender-inclusive-disaster-risk-management.  [Accessed: 20th September 2015].

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Download: http://www.adb.org/documents/tip-sheet-gender-inclusive-disaster-risk-management

Reducing the risks: A Framework for DRR in South-East Asia

Purpose

This document is a South-East Asia specific disaster risk reduction framework aimed at providing more specific guidance to National Societies.

Overview

The elements identified as key Red Cross/Red Crescent contributions to disaster risk reduction as a key action in building community safety and resilience are as follows:

  • Risk-informed humanitarian response. The provision of relief and the satisfaction of immediate needs following a disaster, as well as follow-on recovery activities aimed at helping communities get back on their feet, are undertaken in a way that works towards meeting longer-term risk reduction objectives.
  • Country-specific mitigation, prevention and adaptation activities. Most National Societies have implemented community-based programmes to support communities to better prepare for, and respond to, disasters by building on existing capacities and maximising additional resources.
  • Sector- based programming to build across the disaster management spectrum. Disaster risk reduction is a cross-cutting and complex issue. No individual organisation or sector can address it alone; it requires collective efforts from all parties, public understanding, scientific knowledge and careful development planning.
  • Core cross-cutting components of community safety and resilience. The following are components that are considered essential to every National Society in addressing community safety and resilience: risk assessment and identification and the establishment of community-based early warning and prediction; community-based disaster preparedness; advocacy, education and awareness raising; strong auxiliary relationship with national and local government; partnerships with international, governmental, nongovernmental and community-based organisations.
  • Proposed activities with key indicators to ensure the integration of gender and diversity are highlighted in Annex 2 from page 22.

Usage: Guidance for project implementation

Audiences: Technical staff

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Download: https://www.rcrc-resilience-southeastasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Reducingtherisks_AframeworkforDRRinSEA.pdf

Mobile Rapid Assessment, Connecting the communities at risks

Purpose: The case study highlights the usage of mobile rapid assessment in urban context, aiming to offer the public a channel to report so that the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) could respond faster to any emergency situation, while simultaneously verifying that the information is accurate and reliable. This information is then relayed to all other partners working on disaster risk reduction and disaster management including the national authorities.

Overview:

  • Benefit: the MRA would allow the PMI to map the situation better so that the community could receive faster assistance
  • Target user: the public and local communities who use smartphones
  • Why we use MRA: MRA is light, user-friendly and simple to use, it could be used in offline mode, and it works on almost all android phones.
  • Impact of MRA: the applicaiton has been used by Community-based disaster action team members and communities to inform PMI on flood situations.

Usage: Guidance for project implementation

Audience: National Society’s technical staff and volunteers

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Download: https://www.rcrc-resilience-southeastasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Snapshot-02-Mobile-Rapid-Assesment-ok-2-1.pdf

Understanding community resilience and program factors that strengthen them: A Comprehensive Study of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies Tsunami Operation

Purpose

This document outlines characteristics of safe and resilient communities, including presenting case studies of communities which received Red Cross / Red Crescent support through its Tsunami operation, as well as factors and lessons in successful community-based disaster risk reduction (CBDRR) programming.

Overview

A safe and resilient community:

  • Is knowledgeable and healthy: it can assess, manage, and monitor its risks, learn new skills, and build on past experiences.
  • Is organised: it can identify problems, establish priorities, and act.
  • Is connected: it has relationships with external actors (family friends, faith groups, government) who provide a wider supportive environment, and supply goods and services when needed.
  • Has infrastructure and services: it has strong housing, transport, power, water, and sanitation systems. It has the ability to maintain, repair, and renovate them.
  • Has economic opportunities: it has a diverse range of employment opportunities, income and financial services. It is flexible, resourceful and has the capacity to accept uncertainty and respond (proactively) to change.
  • Can manage its natural assets: it recognises their value and has the ability to protect, enhance and maintain them.

Key determinants of a successful CBDRR programme include: enabling environment; programme design; and programme management.

Usage: Guidance for project implementation

Audiences: Technical staff

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Download: https://www.rcrc-resilience-southeastasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Final_Synthesis_Characteristics_Lessons_Tsunami.pdf