International Day for Disaster Reduction

In the past 20 years, a staggering 4.4 billion people – nearly two-thirds of the world’s population – have been caught up in natural disasters. And when droughts, floods, earthquakes or tsunamis strike, it’s usually women rather than men who bear the brunt.

This year’s UN International Day for Disaster Reduction (13 October) celebrates the role of women in reducing the impact of natural disasters. Dr Kate Crowley, who leads our Disaster Risk Reduction work, says:

“Studies show that women and children are 14 times more likely than men to die during a natural disaster. There are several reasons for this shocking statistic. Physical strength plays a part, especially because women in poor countries are more likely to be malnourished than men.

“But social norms also have a huge impact. For example, in some cultures, boys are routinely taught how to swim but girls aren’t. Or women and girls might be expected to wear clothes that cover their whole bodies at all times, which could be very heavy in the water. In either case, it’s easy to see why women are far more vulnerable if it floods.

“Unequal access to education also creates problems: women are often less likely to be able to read information about what to do during an emergency.”

Women to have more of a say

This year’s International Day for Disaster Reduction calls for women to have more of a say in how their communities respond to disasters. It’s also a chance to celebrate the millions of women around the world who are already leading the way.

Kate Crowley says:

“I’ve met some amazing women who are making a real difference: leading their villages in mapping risks from natural hazards, changing attitudes in their communities, and inspiring a completely new approach.

“In parts of Sierra Leone that are at risk from wild fires, storms and floods, we’ve been encouraging each village to elect a ‘Mother Queen’ – a strong female leader who voices the concerns of the women.

“In one village I went to, local herders had been burning the forest to make room for their grazing animals – and the fires often got out of control, damaging crops and threatening people’s homes.

“The Mother Queen, along with the male leaders of the community, talked to the herders and persuaded them to stop burning the forest and fence in their animals during the harvest season.

“It sounds like a simple solution, but it was a fundamental change for the community and their relationship with the environment and each other. And it happened because the Mother Queen was able to speak on behalf of the women in the community, and to challenge the traditional way of doing things.

“In Bangladesh, we work with women’s groups, who share knowledge about the environment and discuss the issues they face during floods and cyclones.

“I met one woman who’d lobbied the local government to put women-only areas in cyclone shelters. She made the point that if women don’t feel safe, they won’t go to the shelters – something that the officials hadn’t really considered before. Seemingly small changes like this one can have an enormous impact.

“We can’t stop hazards, but we can help make sure that women have a say in how their communities plan for them: their expertise and insights are helping to save a lot of lives.”

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