Description
We are approaching the 10th anniversary of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR). Gender has been central to the SFDRR. The mid-term review of the SFDRR brought renewed attention to addressing the structural causes of gender inequalities for inclusive and sustainable disaster risk reduction (DRR). Achieving gender equality by 2030 is also one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Despite all the efforts and discussions on a gender sensitive approach to DRR, we have only touched the surface of the problem, and progress on achieving gender equality has been slow. In this paper, we examine the gendered impacts of disasters in Japan. We extend our analysis beyond the discussion of women as mere victims or vulnerable and delve deeper into the far-reaching consequences of embodied gendered social norms and cultural practices which get exacerbated in times of crisis. This paper is based on research of many years in the field of DRR in Japan. It analyses several published accounts of people’s experiences from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and the recent 2024 Noto Earthquake. We argue that the embodied social norms and cultural practices have a far greater impact on women, girls and gender minorities than what has been addressed in public discourse. We propose that, for DRR to be gender equitable and inclusive, these embodied social norms and cultural practices must be considered. Special measures must be taken to avoid unintended consequences of disasters, particularly when planning for disaster preparedness, evacuation, mitigation, reconstruction and recovery.
