Women, Gender Norms, and Natural Disasters: Examples from South Asia

Abstract

Women and men are impacted differently by disasters, leading to claims that there exists a "gendered terrain of disasters." South Asia is a region where this confluence of gender and disaster is particularly relevant. Thus, data from South Asia will be presented to demonstrate that women are more vulnerable than men before, during, and after disasters. Ultimately, the biological variable of being female (sex) fails to fully account for gaps in morbidity and mortality; rather socially constructed variables (gender) are responsible for such disparities in South Asia and across space. The presenter is Dr. Luke Juran, Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and the Virginia Tech Water Resources Research Center. This event is part of the Women and Gender in International Development (WGD) discussion series. This program gives students and professionals an opportunity to share their research and discuss issues of Women and Gender in International Development. Students, faculty, staff, and members of the community are encouraged to attend the discussions and bring their ideas and questions.