“Disaster” Within Disaster Management: Women and Nonhuman Animals Issues

Abstract

This analysis will refer to the structural inequalities under disaster management context, where women and more-than-human animals receive imbalanced preparedness for disaster management, risk reduction, and resilience. The concept of feminism and speciesism will visualize the similarity between women and more-than-human animals as an “object” exclusion instead of “subject” inclusion. The vitality of observation is considered from assessing women's capacity to cope, adapt, and survive during and post the socio-ecological emergency (social instability and natural and human-made disaster). The data shows that women were the most susceptible in rapid or slow-onset emergencies, whereas the nonhuman animals will be objectified as no more than property. These two normalized-lens navigate to the skills and knowledge acquired by women regarding socio-ecological resilience. On the other hand, the demand for equal treatment for women and more-than-human animals will be based on their intrinsic values. This article argues that the phenomenon is highly influenced by religious and cultural values in shaping socio-ecological treatment and power relations. In other words, the patriarchal system and human supremacism will become the most influential aspects. The epistemological revolutions through proper laws and policies are required to promote and achieve a more stable socio-ecological structure of women and more-than-human entanglement within disaster management in particular.