Gender and disaster resilience / Oct 6, 2020 [Virtual Session]

Eric Gaisie

The growing intensity and frequency of natural disasters have drawn efforts in academia and public policies towards improving resilience of cities and communities. Increasingly, it is being recognised that resilience outcomes vary across different groups and individuals, with gender being a defining factor. However, there is limited understanding about how gender dynamics influence household resilience to disasters, particularly in informal settlements in developing countries. In this SEED session, I will examine three critical issues, (i) whether flooding affects male and female-headed households differently; (ii) whether household resilience to flooding differs based on gender of headship; and (iii) the factors that influence any such differences. Based on quantitative analysis, I will show how gender roles and socioeconomic dynamics limit the capacities of female-headed households and create a cycle that inhibits their resilience over time.

Session Chair: Tanzil Shafique

Zoom link: in calender invite