Protection during Response

(Place) – (Date)

Day 1

Session 4.1: Protection of At-Risk Groups

Groups that may be at-risk

o Women and girlso Childreno Older peopleo Persons with disabilitieso Persons living with HIV/AIDS or TBo Minoritieso Indigenous peoples, religious and ethnic minoritieso “Invisible vulnerable” (e.g. draft-age males,

adolescents and youth)

Introduction: Disasters and vulnerable Groups

• Disasters = natural hazard + human vulnerability• Affected communities differ in their:

o Resistance o Resilience o Self-reliance

 •  The position of groups within society vis-a-vis:

o Power dynamics and leverageo Marginalization vs integrationo Needs and  priorities

  Gender and Vulnerability

Gender affects:

• Needs• Opportunities to develop skills/capacities• Level of risk

 Gender is a cross-cutting issue with implications for all

sectors (watsan, health, education, shelter) Upholding gender equity in all phases of disaster

response requires special attention

Gender Roles – Example Maldives

Tsunami-affected family, MaldivesPicture: ADB, at: http://www.adb.org/media/Articles/2005/6901_Maldives_tsunami/

  Gender in the relief phase

• Health care (pregnancy, menstruation) • Increased threat of sexual

violence/abuse • Fewer opportunities for accessing public

authorities• Economic vulnerability - loss of home-

based livelihoods• Voice/leadership in reconstruction efforts

 

  Gender in the recovery phase

Women may experience:• Increased workload • Loss of basic facilities and household goods

-> loss of income• Change in family and gender roles

Men:• May migrate to find work• Reconstruction can provide income

opportunities 

Barriers to using a gender lens

• Gender blindness • Women forgotten in immediate impact assessment• Response workers claim:

• Not responsible• Not enough time• Not the right time• Not enough money

• Disaster workers not trained and uncomfortable with realities of gender inequalities

• Lack of capacity of local organizations

 

  Gender: what is to be done

• Gender training for disaster workers• Documentation of gender abuse in disaster

settings• Collect gender-disaggregated data• Equal participation and representation in decision

making and planning• Inclusion and practical utilization of women’s

organizations, organizing abilities• Important to work with men to prevent neglect,

marginalization and abuse of women

 

  Gender: what is to be done

• Work through existing women’s organizations and community groups

• Recruit local women and men for assessment teams; equal men and women on teams

• Put codes of conduct in place• Heightened not reduced discussion on GBV• Seek out information from women and men• Develop gender accountability measures

 

Children and Disasters: Vulnerabilities

• Family separation• Difficulty in finding food, clothes, other basic needs

and care• Lack of emergency education• Physical injury and mental trauma• Children may be forced to live on the street if

families not provided with adequate support• Vulnerable to child labour, trafficking, exploitation

(especially separated and unaccompanied children) following disaster

 

  Poverty and disasters: Vulnerabilities

• Poor people often live in high-risk areas• Have less resources and no access/money

for insurance therefore:disasters can accentuate and deepen poverty and lead to reductions in food consumption, health expenditures, and school enrollment

• Forced migration• Unwilling/unable to engage in risky but

higher return activities  

   Sequence of Socio-economic Vulnerability

 

 Poverty: What is to be done

Before the disaster:• Measures to avoid the risk from occurring (risk

prevention), or, if this is not possible, to reduce its impact (Investment in Mitigation; Insurance)

After the disaster: • Coping strategies are designed to relieve the

impact of the risk once it has occurred (individual savings or borrowing; relief assistance; recovery and reconstruction programs)

 Mechanisms and instruments for social protection

• Microfinance • Food Transfer • Service Fee / Tax Waivers• Cash transfers programs• Public works programs • Social funds  

 Assisting people with disabilities: Example of Turkey

Turkey Emergency Earthquake Recovery Loan (EERL): • Cash transfers to earthquake victims who

suffered property damage; • Cash transfers to survivors and newly disabled

persons who were not covered by social security; and

• Cash transfers to survivors and disabled persons covered by social security.

  Social protection policies and programs should:

• Strengthen assets and livelihoods • Be flexible according to needs• Be implemented transparently• Be supported by communications

and outreach strategy• Include mechanisms of redress  

  Thank You!

Questions?