This book aims to address the dearth of specific information on the subject of 'gender issues in disaster', particularly in the South Asian countries. Targeted at policy makers and development practitioners in South Asia, it argues that the risk posed by natural hazards is a variable, which has direct implications on development in general, and livelihoods in particular. The specific vulnerabilities and capacities of men and women, and the gender/social dynamics of disaster situations are often not obviously visible, but it is vital that they be taken into consideration for if ignored they can impede development efforts.

This edited book was produced through a transnational and transdisciplinary UNESCO Chair Project on Gender and Vulnerability in Disaster Risk Reduction Support. Contributors come from five disaster-prone Asian countries, and the chapters reflect their rich knowledge and practical experience in disaster management and humanitarian assistance. The chapters, all with a focus on gender and vulnerability, illustrate that gender can make people, especially women, vulnerable. The chapters address the experiences of state and non-state actors responding to disaster and promoting recovery at the local level. However, while women and vulnerable people may be victims of disasters, they also serve as agents for recovery and voices for better disaster preparedness. In sharing both successes and failures, as well as suggestions for the future, this book speaks to the need for transdisciplinary knowledge and multilevel coordination, as well as full equality for all genders and respect for human rights, in order to cope with increasingly more frequent, intense, and complex emergencies. This book is of interest as a text to students in a variety of disciplines who are focusing on disaster and health emergencies, as well as to practitioners and others promoting disaster risk reduction and resilience.

ÔDisaster research owes a lot to development studies and yet the debt is often not acknowledged. In this scholarly but accessible book by Sarah Bradshaw, we see a very effective linking of gender, disaster and development that will be of value to academics and practitioners working in and across all these domains.Õ Ð Maureen Fordham, University of Northumbria, UK ÔBringing gender into the foreground in both development and disaster discourse, the author challenges received wisdom and offers cautionary notes about reinforcing inequalities through feminized disaster interventions. The book is an outstanding platform for fundamental change in how we think about and act toward gender in disaster contexts, leaving readers cautiously optimistic. This is one for the top shelf Ð a book we have been waiting for and must put to use.Õ Ð Elaine Enarson, founder, Gender and Disaster Resilience Alliance ÔOnce in a while a book is published which offers an empirically and theoretically informed analysis of an under-studied topic which helps to carve out a new field of enquiry. Such is the case with Dr Sarah BradshawÕs breathtakingly detailed, richly first-hand informed, and incisive, account of the frequently paradoxical co-option of women into the analysis and practice of ÒdisasterÓ in developing economies. BradshawÕs eminently comprehensive, well-substantiated, perceptive and sensitive treatment of the ÒA to ZÓ of gender and ÒdisasterÓ in developing country contexts constitutes a 21st century volume which will be a definitive benchmark for scholars, policymakers, practitioners, and feminist activists at a world scale.Õ Ð Sylvia Chant, London School of Economics, UK The need to Ôdisaster proofÕ development is increasingly recognised by development agencies, as is the need to engender both development and disaster response. This unique book explores what these processes mean for development and disasters in practice. Sarah Bradshaw critically examines key notions, such as gender, vulnerability, risk, and humanitarianism, underpinning development and disaster discourse. Case studies are used to demonstrate how disasters are experienced individually and collectively as gendered events. Through consideration of processes to engender development, it problematizes womenÕs inclusion in disaster response and reconstruction. The study highlights that while women are now central to both disaster response and development, tackling gender inequality is not. By critically reflecting on gendered disaster response and the gendered impact of disasters on processes of development, it exposes some important lessons for future policy. This timely book examines international development and disaster policy which will prove invaluable to gender and disaster academics, students and practitioners.

Gender is revealed as a central organizing principle in social life when the unexpected transforms daily routines, environments, and social institutions. Using specific disaster experiences from around the world, this book argues for a gendered perspective in policy, practice and research. Contributing authors challenge the image of women as hapless victim in their accounts of women who rebuilt flooded homes in Bangladesh, evacuated families from Australian bushfires, reconstructed communities after a Mexican earthquake, and mobilized women in Miami in the wake of Hurricane Andrew. From Bangladesh to Scotland, the case studies document the root causes of women's vulnerability to disaster and the central roles they play before, during and after disaster. The authors recommend strategies for policy makers and emergency practitioners to more fully engage women in disaster planning and response.

Globally, women are disproportionately impacted by climate change and disasters due to gender inequalities and limited opportunities to participate in decision-making processes. To help address this imbalance, this publication provides guidance on how to integrate gender equality in laws and policies on climate change and disaster management in developing member countries of the Asian Development Bank. It provides a conceptual framework and good practice guide based on international norms and examples of national laws. It also demonstrates how gender-responsive laws and policies can contribute to women’s resilience to climate change and disasters. The publication was developed for the use of governments, policy-makers, organizations, and individuals engaged in gender-responsive legislative reforms.

Contributed articles presented at the National Level Workshop on "Disaster and Gender" held during 5-6 January, 2007 at P. G. Dept. of Economics, North Orissa University sponsored by Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India.