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.

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.

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.

Natural disasters push ordinary gender disparities to the extreme¿leaving women not only to deal with a catastrophe¿s aftermath, but also at risk for greater levels of domestic violence, displacement, and other threats to their security and well-being. Elaine Enarson presents a comprehensive assessment, encompassing both theory and practice, of how gender shapes disaster vulnerability and resilience.

This book focuses on the challenges of living with climate disasters, in addition to the existing gender inequalities that prevail and define social, economic and political conditions. Social inequalities have consequences for the everyday lives of women and girls where power relations, institutional and socio-cultural practices make them disadvantaged in terms of disaster preparedness and experience. Chapters in this book unravel how gender and masculinity intersect with age, ethnicity, sexuality and class in specific contexts around the globe. It looks at the various kinds of difficulties for particular groups before, during and after disastrous events such as typhoons, flooding, landslides and earthquakes. It explores how issues of gender hierarchies, patriarchal structures and masculinity are closely related to gender segregation, institutional codes of behaviour and to a denial of environmental crisis. This book stresses the need for a gender-responsive framework that can provide a more holistic understanding of disasters and climate change. A critical feminist perspective uncovers the gendered politics of disaster and climate change. This book will be useful for practitioners and researchers working within the areas of Climate Change response, Gender Studies, Disaster Studies and International Relations.

Emerging Voices in Natural Hazards Research provides a synthesis of the most pressing issues in natural hazards research by new professionals. The book begins with an overview of emerging research on natural hazards, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, wildfires, sea-level rise, global warming, climate change, and tornadoes, among others. Remaining sections include topics such as socially vulnerable populations and the cycles of emergency management. Emerging Voices in Natural Hazards Research is intended to serve as a consolidated resource for academics, students, and researchers to learn about the most pressing issues in natural hazard research today. - Provides a platform for readers to keep up-to-date with the interdisciplinary research that new professionals are producing - Covers the multidisciplinary perspectives of the hazards and disasters field - Includes international perspectives from new professionals around the world, including developing countries