Gender
Gender is a complex and crucial dimension of crisis preparedness, resolution, and response. Indeed, crises affect men and women, and boys and girls, differently, given the different roles they play in society. The gendered division of labour in households and economies often deprives women of control over resources and processes needed to protect oneself from crises. Gender differences also contribute to vulnerabilities and gaps in preparedness that intensify a disaster’s effects.
Women face many disadvantages in crises For example, in economic downturns they can lose their jobs more quickly and in greater numbers than men. Their small businesses tend to be hard-hit, and their household entitlements decline. After natural disasters, women lacking land titles or farming small plots may be forced off their land. Moreover, since land and employment arrangements are often negotiated through men, women may lose access to both without a man to represent them, a common situation after wars.
In a crisis, women’s workloads also increase tremendously. The increase stems from damaged infrastructure, housing and workplaces; the need to compensate for declining family income and social services; and the responsibility to care for orphaned children, the elderly and the disabled. This, in turn, limits women’s mobility and time for income-generating work. The cycle continues when girls are pulled out of school as the family budget tightens and they must help with other tasks, possibly depriving them of future earning opportunities.
In some situations, especially social and political transitions, declining political participation and resurgent patriarchal attitudes jeopardize opportunities for women. They can also fall prey to violence in any crisis. Law and order are apt to break down, and the incidence of sexual and other abuses can rise, especially with rape and exploitation playing a horrific role in many conflicts. In short, crisis-related hardships compound several existing challenges for women.
However, women are also engines of recovery They possess qualities vital for crisis response, and can help keep the society’s fabric intact. Equally important, crises present an opportunity to break down gender barriers. Unequal pre-crisis gender roles can change as coping prompts men and women to step out of their traditional places. Working in traditionally male fields like construction; launching small businesses; contributing to discussions on reconstruction; and pursuing education, even while displaced, can empower women. In addition, if men are absent, gender roles are obviously open to change. These circumstances can increase women’s economic independence, ability to provide for their families, decision-making skills, and social prominence.
But such positive changes need support. Training for women must respond to the full range of their aspirations and potential. Interventions also must include those working informally or in the home. In addition, women often know local conditions better than anyone. They therefore bring crucial knowledge to peace negotiations, the planning and implementation of reconstruction projects, decision-making structures, and transitional governments. Their participation, in turn, helps develop an economic, social, and legal environment propitious for women’s success.
Long-term recovery strategies should capitalize on positive changes and avoid reverting to pre-crisis patterns. With equitable and sustainable post-crisis interventions, both women and men can find new opportunities for decent work to aid the recovery of their families and communities. While pursuing these aims, though, IFP/CRISIS and its partners remain alert to any negative effects of changing gender roles. In some cases, women’s assumption of traditionally male agricultural activities has increased domestic violence and divorce when their husbands retuned from war.
The ILO’s Response
IFP/CRISIS sees women’s empowerment and gender equality as necessary for crisis prevention and for post-crisis resolution, reconstruction, and recovery. To this end, it pursues several areas of work:
- Enriching the knowledge base on gender and crises with research and the capitalization of ILO and IFP/CRISIS experience.
- Strengthening the capacity of disaster response authorities, ILO constituents, and community groups to tackle the gender dimensions of crises. This work includes training, guidelines on best practices, and technical cooperation programmes.
Widely advocating a gender-sensitive paradigm shift in crisis intervention among ILO constituents, partner organizations, donors, the media, and the general public.
Further information
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