Pakistan Floods: Women should be at the forefront of relief efforts & future climate policies
Women in developing countries, such as Pakistan, are particularly vulnerable to climate disasters due to existing gender inequities and patriarchal norms
Over the last decade, the dire repercussions of climate change have become indisputable and increasingly alarming. This year alone, the world witnessed several examples of extreme weather events. Most recently, in Pakistan, eight weeks of torrential downpours and flash flooding wrought havoc affecting over 33 million people and resulting in more than 1100 casualties nationwide. When a country or a community is hit by a natural disaster of such epic proportions, it is imperative to draw attention to the plight of the most susceptible and marginalized members of the community: women and young children, and involve them in important decision-making conversations.
Pakistan’s Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman has described the event as “the worst humanitarian disaster of this decade” and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, while issuing a flash appeal for $160 million for flood relief, further emphasized that Pakistan is experiencing “a monsoon on steroids” and demands the world’s collective and prioritized attention. The Government of Pakistan, with help from civil society, developed countries, and international agencies, is working to ensure that timely relief efforts are put into action. But with one-third of the country under water, it will be years before towns and cities pulverized by the floods can be completely rehabilitated and livelihoods restored.
Women and children are 14 times more likely than men to receive fatal casualties when disaster strikes. An Oxfam analysis showed that during the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, 70 percent of the 230,000 people killed were women. Women in developing countries such as Pakistan are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate disasters due to deep-rooted gender inequities that define the moral and social fabric of their societies. According to the 2022 World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index report, Pakistan ranked as the second worst country in the world in terms of gender parity. These underwhelming results are descriptive of the unfortunate circumstances that women still experience within Pakistan whether in terms of lack of economic empowerment or prominent leadership roles in society. Against this backdrop, natural disasters, like floods, will further reinforce the existing gender inequalities by adding to the woes of millions of women and young girls who are constantly fighting for their rights to adequate education, health, and economic opportunities while operating within a primarily male-dominated society.
Given the general limitations on women’s mobility and education, particularly in Pakistan’s rural areas, evacuation can be challenging as women are not fully equipped with life-saving skills such as swimming, navigation, or self-defense techniques. Furthermore, owing to the conservative and patriarchal nature of most rural households in Pakistan, women are often not allowed to leave their homes without a male companion or permission from the tribal elders and tend to have minimal outside exposure as a result. They are also primary caregivers at home which can further compromise their ability to evacuate. Biased social attitudes and archaic traditions thus translate into what we see as the disproportionate impacts of climate-induced disasters on women who end up being displaced or killed in the process. For example, the 2010 floods displaced almost 1.5 million people in Pakistan’s province of Sindh out of which 49% percent were women. Also, women’s role and contributions to the informal sector and agriculture are not given enough policy-level attention and economic importance in the country, so when apocalyptic floods wipe away crops and fields, women’s employment is highly impacted and unlike their male counterparts, women do not have the resources or receive enough assistance to find alternative means of livelihoods.
Challenges for women continue well into the aftermath of a disaster, as many women and young girls are at a high risk of gender-based violence, sexual abuse, and harassment even in relief camps and shelter homes set up for flood victims. There is also a great concern for women’s hygiene and sanitation needs as these shelter homes are often unhygienic and do not have proper lavatories or clean water and food supplies. This challenge is particularly acute for pregnant and lactating women. For instance, in the aftermath of the 2010 floods in Pakistan, there were more than 180,000 pregnant and lactating mothers who struggled to stay alive without proper medical care, testing facilities and required nutrition. Many of these women, unfortunately, passed away (a number not accounted for in the total flood-related death toll) or experienced severe pregnancy complications due to a lack of basic care. Similar adversities are already visible in the current flood situation: there are at least 650,000 pregnant women in need of care and a few days ago a flood survivor gave birth to a baby boy next to the rubble of her house in the small district of Shahdadkot, Sindh, without any amenities or medical help. This highlights the overall need for a more gender-sensitive approach to rescue and relief operations with sufficient provisions for pregnant women, new mothers, and infants.
The scale of recent flooding in Pakistan was certainly unprecedented: the extremely consequential levels of humanitarian, infrastructural, and economic destruction experienced are colossal, so much so that it is almost inconceivable to correctly quantify the losses at this point. As the Government of Pakistan and international agencies work to support the flood victims and develop greater climate resilience for the future, they must account for the role and needs of women. Women are essential to the development of better climate adaptation mechanisms and disaster risk resilience efforts as they bring unique perspectives, insights, and challenges to the table which must be recognized and integrated into future policymaking. Government-driven disaster management entities and CSOs should focus more heavily on gender-specific methods of disaster communication, climate education, and training opportunities–especially in underprivileged localities–so women are aware and fully equipped with climate-related know-how. Pakistan could learn from the efforts of UN Volunteers after the earthquake in Ecuador in 2016, where they coordinated programs to increase women’s involvement in the governance and management of relief camps and shelters which helped reduce instances of gender violence and allowed women to develop a sense of safety and control. These programs further gave women an opportunity to engage in activities like cash-for-work initiatives and reconstruction efforts.
Involving women in key decision-making within communities, recognizing them as important stakeholders, and empowering them with climate-risk resilience skills and knowledge could elevate their role as agents of change. For Pakistan, as it embarks on the road to recovery while seeking practical and effective climate change mitigation strategies, it must leverage the unmatched capability of its women population.
Pakistan Floods: Women should be at the forefront of relief efforts & future climate policies
By Farwa Aamer
In Energy, Water & Oceans
Over the last decade, the dire repercussions of climate change have become indisputable and increasingly alarming. This year alone, the world witnessed several examples of extreme weather events. Most recently, in Pakistan, eight weeks of torrential downpours and flash flooding wrought havoc affecting over 33 million people and resulting in more than 1100 casualties nationwide. When a country or a community is hit by a natural disaster of such epic proportions, it is imperative to draw attention to the plight of the most susceptible and marginalized members of the community: women and young children, and involve them in important decision-making conversations.
Pakistan’s Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman has described the event as “the worst humanitarian disaster of this decade” and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, while issuing a flash appeal for $160 million for flood relief, further emphasized that Pakistan is experiencing “a monsoon on steroids” and demands the world’s collective and prioritized attention. The Government of Pakistan, with help from civil society, developed countries, and international agencies, is working to ensure that timely relief efforts are put into action. But with one-third of the country under water, it will be years before towns and cities pulverized by the floods can be completely rehabilitated and livelihoods restored.
Women and children are 14 times more likely than men to receive fatal casualties when disaster strikes. An Oxfam analysis showed that during the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, 70 percent of the 230,000 people killed were women. Women in developing countries such as Pakistan are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate disasters due to deep-rooted gender inequities that define the moral and social fabric of their societies. According to the 2022 World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index report, Pakistan ranked as the second worst country in the world in terms of gender parity. These underwhelming results are descriptive of the unfortunate circumstances that women still experience within Pakistan whether in terms of lack of economic empowerment or prominent leadership roles in society. Against this backdrop, natural disasters, like floods, will further reinforce the existing gender inequalities by adding to the woes of millions of women and young girls who are constantly fighting for their rights to adequate education, health, and economic opportunities while operating within a primarily male-dominated society.
Given the general limitations on women’s mobility and education, particularly in Pakistan’s rural areas, evacuation can be challenging as women are not fully equipped with life-saving skills such as swimming, navigation, or self-defense techniques. Furthermore, owing to the conservative and patriarchal nature of most rural households in Pakistan, women are often not allowed to leave their homes without a male companion or permission from the tribal elders and tend to have minimal outside exposure as a result. They are also primary caregivers at home which can further compromise their ability to evacuate. Biased social attitudes and archaic traditions thus translate into what we see as the disproportionate impacts of climate-induced disasters on women who end up being displaced or killed in the process. For example, the 2010 floods displaced almost 1.5 million people in Pakistan’s province of Sindh out of which 49% percent were women. Also, women’s role and contributions to the informal sector and agriculture are not given enough policy-level attention and economic importance in the country, so when apocalyptic floods wipe away crops and fields, women’s employment is highly impacted and unlike their male counterparts, women do not have the resources or receive enough assistance to find alternative means of livelihoods.
Challenges for women continue well into the aftermath of a disaster, as many women and young girls are at a high risk of gender-based violence, sexual abuse, and harassment even in relief camps and shelter homes set up for flood victims. There is also a great concern for women’s hygiene and sanitation needs as these shelter homes are often unhygienic and do not have proper lavatories or clean water and food supplies. This challenge is particularly acute for pregnant and lactating women. For instance, in the aftermath of the 2010 floods in Pakistan, there were more than 180,000 pregnant and lactating mothers who struggled to stay alive without proper medical care, testing facilities and required nutrition. Many of these women, unfortunately, passed away (a number not accounted for in the total flood-related death toll) or experienced severe pregnancy complications due to a lack of basic care. Similar adversities are already visible in the current flood situation: there are at least 650,000 pregnant women in need of care and a few days ago a flood survivor gave birth to a baby boy next to the rubble of her house in the small district of Shahdadkot, Sindh, without any amenities or medical help. This highlights the overall need for a more gender-sensitive approach to rescue and relief operations with sufficient provisions for pregnant women, new mothers, and infants.
The scale of recent flooding in Pakistan was certainly unprecedented: the extremely consequential levels of humanitarian, infrastructural, and economic destruction experienced are colossal, so much so that it is almost inconceivable to correctly quantify the losses at this point. As the Government of Pakistan and international agencies work to support the flood victims and develop greater climate resilience for the future, they must account for the role and needs of women. Women are essential to the development of better climate adaptation mechanisms and disaster risk resilience efforts as they bring unique perspectives, insights, and challenges to the table which must be recognized and integrated into future policymaking. Government-driven disaster management entities and CSOs should focus more heavily on gender-specific methods of disaster communication, climate education, and training opportunities–especially in underprivileged localities–so women are aware and fully equipped with climate-related know-how. Pakistan could learn from the efforts of UN Volunteers after the earthquake in Ecuador in 2016, where they coordinated programs to increase women’s involvement in the governance and management of relief camps and shelters which helped reduce instances of gender violence and allowed women to develop a sense of safety and control. These programs further gave women an opportunity to engage in activities like cash-for-work initiatives and reconstruction efforts.
Involving women in key decision-making within communities, recognizing them as important stakeholders, and empowering them with climate-risk resilience skills and knowledge could elevate their role as agents of change. For Pakistan, as it embarks on the road to recovery while seeking practical and effective climate change mitigation strategies, it must leverage the unmatched capability of its women population.
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