Enhancing Micro-human Efforts through Livelihood Assistance for Women in Post-disaster Recovery in Sri Lanka

Livelihood assistance is crucial for women in their post-disaster recovery efforts, as it plays a decisive role in empowering micro-human efforts that will contribute to their economic resilience. Despite the international community&s;s efforts to embrace resilience and inclusion, women and their needs are often overlooked during the post-disaster recovery processes in Sri Lanka. This chapter investigates the impact of livelihood-related micro-human efforts on women and their families in Sri Lanka. An extensive literature review was conducted to establish a theory related to the livelihood assistance of women in the post-disaster context. Primary data was gathered through stakeholder interviews and analysed using qualitative content analysis. The study findings reveal that, despite the government&s;s provision of livelihood aid in the aftermath of disasters in Sri Lanka, the practical constraints experienced by women are disregarded. There is limited community participation in the decision-making process, and as a result, many rebuilding programmes are not as effective as intended. The research identifies barriers and opportunities in promoting livelihood options for women and proposes strategies to help them become self-sufficient. The lack of data on the subject is a major challenge, and knowledge generated by this study has significant implications for all stakeholders related to post-disaster management and development in South Asia.