WOMEN'S HEALTH IN DISASTERS

Natural or man-made disasters can have profound and lasting physical, psychological, and economic impacts on societies, often resulting in significant loss of life and damage to infrastructure. In recent years, the world has experienced an increase in devastating events such as earthquakes, tsunamis, epidemics, floods, and droughts. Such crises often disrupt vital infrastructure and create new public health problems, particularly acute challenges in resource-limited regions. Importantly, these impacts are not experienced equally. Women often bear a greater burden in the aftermath of a crisis. Several factors contribute to women’s increased vulnerability before, during, and after a disaster. Responsibilities such as caregiving, food preparation, and water collection often fall more on women. In times of scarcity, women often sacrifice their own needs for the needs of their families. Disasters also lead to an increase in gender-based violence, including sexual assault and domestic abuse. Reports following the Haiti earthquake, the Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand, and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami reveal a disturbing pattern of increased sexual violence against women in post-disaster contexts. Crowded shelters lacking adequate security, privacy, and sanitation often put women’s health and dignity at greater risk. Beyond the immediate physical dangers, disasters often have a profound psychological impact on women. Rates of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder tend to rise sharply, especially when combined with poverty, job insecurity, and lack of social support. At the same time, disasters can severely disrupt reproductive health services, increasing the risk of complications such as premature birth and low birth weight. Access to critical resources such as menstrual hygiene products is also restricted, further straining women’s already fragile health and dignity. When women’s needs are over-looked in disaster planning, the result is often a further widening of existing gender gaps. Recognizing this, some countries-including Japan-have taken steps to develop disaster response plans that prioritize gender equality and ensure that women have a say in shaping recovery efforts. Globally, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and programs run by the World Bank call for strengthening women’s roles in preparedness and response. Gender-aware disaster planning is not just about justice; it is essential to creating more resilient and inclusive societies better equipped to recover and rebuild.