Empowering women for disaster risk reduction: a case study of geologically based disaster at Yan, Kedah, Malaysia

Abstract

The effects of disaster impact all levels of society equally. However, both men and women response to disaster differently. It is critical to acknowledge that both genders have different roles, responsibilities, access, and control over resources as well as how they are affected by crisis and disaster. This paper seeks to build an initial understanding on the importance of gender perspective through review of literature and single case study of Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) program conducted at Yan, Kedah. Data was collected through survey questionnaires and focus group discussion with women that had experienced the geological disaster that occurred on the 18th of August 2021. The findings revealed that even though women and girls are more vulnerable to disasters and climate change, they also contribute vital information, skills, resources, and experiences to disaster risk reduction. These abilities are underutilised and are mostly missing from the creation of resilience strategies and decision-making processes for prevention, mitigation, preparedness, and recovery process of the disaster cycle. It is the responsibility of the national governments not only to identify these vulnerabilities but also to build the resilience of women and children to lessen disaster impact in the future.