Abstract
Gendered vulnerability from women’s point of view has gained popularity in disaster studies in recent decades especially in the Global South. The positioning of women in society during normal times gives rise to vulnerabilities that are revealed when a disaster strikes. These vulnerabilities are often deep-rooted in societal makeup, cultural and traditional norms, and the economic fabric of society. In the context of Pakistan, the role of women in disaster risk reduction programs is still an under-researched area. In this paper, the gendered vulnerability progression in one of the mountain rural communities of Hassanabad in Hunza Valley (Northern Pakistan) is analyzed post-Shishper glacier lake outburst flood (GLOF) in 2019 and 2020. The study uses empirical qualitative data. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with men and women of different age groups within Hassanabad village. A thematic gendered analysis unveiled several interlinked social, economic, and institutional vulnerabilities. The gendered transitional phase of Hassanabad society positively indicates women’s involvement in different spheres of life, including disaster management and mitigation. However, the lack of gender consideration on a formal institutional level exacerbates the gendered vulnerabilities in Hassanabad village. The case study of Hassanabad demonstrated that women not only have an awareness of hazards but are also willing to participate proactively in disaster mitigation activities. Therefore, to reduce community vulnerability and yield long-term positive outcomes of disaster management and mitigation strategies, women must be involved at the formal institutional levels.
Highlights
Disasters occur as a result of interaction among natural hazards, the human population, and their environments
Factors such as environmental degradation, poor use of natural resources, unsustainable developmental practices, and population dynamics impact the vulnerability of people to natural hazards [1,2,3]
In the context of disaster, there were several underlying factors related to women vulnerability which tacitly existed in the socio-cultural setting of Hunza Valley
Summary
Disasters occur as a result of interaction among natural hazards, the human population, and their environments. Factors such as environmental degradation, poor use of natural resources, unsustainable developmental practices, and population dynamics impact the vulnerability of people to natural hazards [1,2,3]. The communities with low coping capacity and high exposure are often more at risk and face difficulty recovering from a disaster [4]. Like many other developing countries, has low levels of human development, high exposure to natural hazards, and a high gender gap, which results in the increased vulnerability of people [5,6,7].
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