The Unaddressed Sufferings of Women in Floods
The current torrential, flash and riverine floods in Pakistan affected more than 30 million people. These floods resulted from two simultaneous factors, climate change and the inability of government and institutions of Pakistan that failed to take necessary measures to prevent the great loss, have shattered the already unconsoled segments of society.
This blow has deeply hit the poverty-stricken residents in the affected areas with drastic impacts on women who are already suffering the brunts of humiliation and abuse. According to United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the mortality ratio of women and children is 14 times more than men in natural catastrophes. During the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004, 230,000 were killed, 70 percent were women. In 2010 floods, out of 1.5 million displaced people of Sindh 49% percent were women. Firmly-established gender inequity, deeply deteriorated by poverty and illiteracy, current floods are making life more wretched for women.
Pakistan has never been a safe haven for oppressed people, mainly for its woman. It is frequently ranked as one of the unsafe places for women with reference to safety, employment, health and education. World Economic Forum’s 2022 Global Gender Gap Index report has officially ranked Pakistan the second worst country in terms of gender status. Despite such international status of gender disparity, more than half of the Pakistanis do not admit that gender inequality exists. They rather claim that women get enough honour and respect within their homes therefore they need not go out for education and job. Such patriarchal perception of “honour” and a long history of women’s suppression in the region have aggravated their status of rights.
Current calamity of floods has worsened the already unbearable condition of women. Men in some flooded areas did not send away women for relief camps just to preserve their so-called “honour”. Though many families are still suffering from waterborne diseases and food shortage, but the men are not ready to compromise their women’s “honour” for the sake of safety and survival.
Challenges for women continue in terms of health condition. The immediate health essentials for the flood affected women are yet to be concentrated sincerely. According to UN’s health agency, there are almost 650,000 pregnant women in flood affected areas of Pakistan, among them 73,000 were expected to give birth in the out-going month. Last month without any medical help, a flood affected pregnant lady from Qambar Shahdadkot district of Sindh gave birth to a baby boy beside a pile of rubble which once was her home.
Moreover, women are more vulnerable and at a high risk of sexual abuse, violence and harassment even in their relief camps. The man would vent his frustration and resort to violence due to joblessness, displacement, starvation and house destruction. Studies provide substantial references that financial insecurity and stress as such often make women more vulnerable to abuse and violence.
Floods in Pakistan bring uneven repercussions of disaster for women and men. Relief campaign and rehabilitation operation need a more gender-sensitive approach to address the grievances of the affected especially pregnant women and new mothers. Regrettably, the impacts of disaster are considered the same for women and men in Pakistan. Pakistan need to learn from the example of 2016 earthquake in Ecuador, where volunteers provided relief packages involving women and started rehabilitation programs to bring women in supervision and management of relief camps which resulted in reduction of gender-based violence. It helped women to feel secure and active. These programs also provided workshops on income-generation and involved affected women in reconstruction that ultimately gave women the sense of independence and improved their participation. To address the women-related issues effectively, government should take initiatives to involve women in relief operations in flood affected areas.
