The Role of Gender in Post-Disaster Recovery and Disaster Risk Governance in Nepal: Examining Links Between Women, Institutions and Capacity-Building

Although it is widely acknowledged within disaster scholarship that women are more vulnerable to disasters than men, there is a dearth of literature explicitly discussing the ways in which governmental and non-governmental institutions have supported, strengthened and built the capabilities of Nepali women since the 2015 Gorkha earthquake. Thus, the objective of this study was to undertake an institutional analysis of the role of gender in post-disaster recovery in Nepal. This overarching goal has been divided into two key research aims: 1. To examine how institutions have built the capabilities of Nepali women in a post-disaster context and whether this is sustainable. 2. To acknowledge and understand the power structures that govern Nepali women’s lives and how these affect their ability to participate in disaster risk management. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 53 participants from four categories: Nepali women and men who reside within Bhaktapur municipality; employees of non-governmental institutions who run community programmes aimed at increasing community capacity following disasters; and municipal and federal employees who work in the area of disaster risk reduction. Document analysis of Government policies and frameworks was also undertaken. My research suggests that although governmental and non-governmental institutions have taken initial steps towards enhancing the capacities of women post-disaster, there are still many opportunities available for these institutions to translate policy into practice, address the specific needs of disaster-affected women, provide targeted training to enhance their disaster preparedness, and positively transform their role in modern Nepali society. In particular, I demonstrate that key opportunities to enhance social inclusion and redress pre-existing gender inequalities have been missed by both the Government and I/NGOs who work in the field of disaster risk reduction; highlighting a policy-implementation gap created by slippages between policy and practice. Furthermore, my research underscores the gendered barriers that serve to constrain Nepali women and impede their ability to build disaster resilience, thus further entrenching their vulnerability. On this basis, I provide recommendations on how the policy-implementation gap can be addressed through ensuring policies are coherent and contain clear guidelines and standards, fostering gender mainstreaming and undertaking gender audits, and encouraging widespread coordination between governmental and non-governmental organisations. Finally, I demonstrate that although Nepali women living in Bhaktapur municipality have encountered new forms of insecurity as a direct result of the earthquake, post-recovery conditions have fostered some long-term positive social and economic changes for women. These changes include the diversification of women’s employment and women undertaking traditional ‘men’s work’, in addition to experiencing heightened confidence and respect as a result of their contributions in the aftermath of the earthquake.

Author dc:creator

• Mackintosh, Natasha Jane

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Wanner, Thomas
• Skuse, Andrew

• gender, disaster, resilience, policy, institutions, post-disaster, recovery, disaster risk governance, nepal, development, disaster planning

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2440/136735

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digital.library.adelaide.edu.au:2440/136735