Gender and Disasters: A Case Study of Tsunami and Its Impacts on Women in Tamil Nadu

Past research has proven that natural hazards have differential impacts on men and women. This study aims to look at the impact of the 2004 tsunami on women among the coastal communities of Tamil Nadu. Some of the questions that will be addressed in the study include:

What are the causes of differential impact of the disaster on women and men? Did the patriarchal structure and the existing socio-economic and political order make women more vulnerable to the impacts of the tsunami? This analysis will be done for women across different castes and classes.

The other aspect of the study will be to assess women oriented rehabilitation measures being undertaken by different agencies in the affected area.

The key questions here are: How have women been integrated in rehabilitation planning, if at all? Are the needs and aspirations of local women being met by the rehabilitation processes being undertaken by agencies such as the state, NGOs and funding organisations? Finally, I will address the question of whether post disaster rehabilitation in tsunami-affected areas can provide an opportunity for the betterment and development of the community on a long-term basis.

I would also like to examine whether the reconstruction process has served to reduce gender inequalities or deepen them.