Disaster (Un)preparedness under cyclone Idai

Revisiting women activities in water and sanitation at tongogara refugee camp, Zimbabwe

Bibliographic Data

ID22112141
AuthorsWisdom Sibanda (0000-0002-0376-3025, University of the Free State, corresponding author), Geofrey Mukwada (University of the Free State), Melissa Hansen (0000-0002-8632-3331, University of the Free State), Melissa M Hansen (University of the Free State)
Year2022
Volume8
Issue1
Publication date2022-12-31
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCogent Social Sciences (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2331-1886 • E-ISSN: 2331-1886
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/23311886.2022.2137964
OpenAlexW4307643383
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited26

Disasters and crises have been part of the human experience since time immemorial. They may be unpredictable, but important steps can be taken before a disaster occurs to minimize the threat of damage. This study seeks to explore the level of disaster (un)preparedness through women activities in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme during Cyclone Idai at Tongogara Refugee Camp (TRC) in Chipinge, Zimbabwe. The study argues that refugee women, more than men, were more vulnerable to the effects of Cyclone Idai due to unequal distribution of the scarce WASH facilities at the camp. Drawing on the findings from qualitative research where data were collected through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and participant observations, women were found to be more susceptible to the impacts of Cyclone Idai than men, due to inequity in resource distribution. Using a feminist political ecology framework to analyze the role of women during disasters, the study identified five themes; gender equality, access to WASH, health, decision making and participation that helped to show the state of preparedness and response by women. The results reveal a high level of unpreparedness on the part of the government in implementing disaster mitigation measures as very little was done in the pre-Cyclone Idai disaster period in terms of training and information dissemination at TRC. The study concludes that in emergency situations, women are more exposed than men, hence the need for a gender sensitive response strategy

Economic growth · Economics · Emergency management · Focus group · Political science · Preparedness · Qualitative research · Refugee · Sanitation · Social science · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Climate Change, Adaptation, Migration · Disaster Management and Resilience · Engineering · Homelessness and Social Issues

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