Experts have said that women are more affected by climate disasters like floods, droughts, and heatwaves but there is not enough data to show exactly how. Without proper gender-wise data, it’s hard to make good plans and policies to help women during such disasters.
At a recent workshop in Delhi, experts from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and UN Women said that collecting data on how disasters affect women differently is very important. For example, during a flood or cyclone, we often don’t know how many women got hurt, lost their income, or were displaced.
Susan Ferguson from UN Women said that most rural women work in farming or informal jobs and suffer more when disasters hit. “We need clear data about women so that governments can make better plans and provide the right help,” she said.
NDMA’s Rajendra Singh said women are not just victims they can also lead the way in disaster response. “Women can help their villages prepare better and respond faster,” he added.
Odisha has taken big steps in this direction. The state has set up 21 district-level gender cells and is training officials to collect gender-based disaster data. Odisha is also training 10,000 village youth this year to help during emergencies.
NDMA is also working on collecting gender-specific data and training officers across India. More than 20,000 women have already joined the national disaster volunteer team called Aapda Mitra.
In Gujarat, a special insurance for women workers is being tested it helps them recover income lost during heatwaves. The NDMA said it will now push for more gender-sensitive disaster policies and will also collect and publish good practices from across India.
Experts agreed: when women are included in disaster planning, communities become stronger and more prepared.