Recent research revealed startling surges in domestic violence against women in the wake of many natural disasters, reported the Guardian, motivating advocates to speak up about prevention and protection.
What's happening?
A report from Women's Environmental Leadership Australia contained distressing insights: Women "are 14 times more likely to perish in a disaster" and "represent 80% of people displaced by extreme weather."
Disasters covered included droughts, floods, and lockdowns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the Guardian explained, these crises caused "dramatic spikes in domestic violence." For women, communication with support services became chaotic (case workers relying on "small antennas attached to generators in their cars") or nonexistent — with one worker describing the situation as "war-zone stuff."
In the aftermath of a crisis, "violence against women often escalates … because traditional gender roles tend to become more deeply entrenched," noted the Guardian in its summary of the WELA report. Men may step into firefighting, construction, or other cleanup efforts "seen as heroic," while women often "carry a greater burden of caring work."
That disparity may contribute to communities that excuse violence. Studies have shown that when perpetrators "were men who were also responders … there was a sense they should be forgiven," commented emergency worker Steve O'Malley in the Guardian.
Why is this issue important?
According to statistics published by the National Domestic Violence Hotline, over 12 million people in the U.S. each year are victims of intimate partner aggression. A high proportion (around 80% from 1994 to 2010) of these victims are female.
Women struggling have "less security and fewer resources to draw upon" in a disaster, Carla Pascoe Leahy, WELA's research manager, said to the Guardian.
These numbers are disturbing on their own but become even more so when observing the correlation with natural disasters, particularly in an era of extreme weather caused by toxic pollution.
What's being done about it?
To spread awareness about how disasters impact women, per the Guardian, emergency workers like O'Malley are training first responders on gender consideration during crisis responses, while Pascoe Leahy hopes to inspire political action.
Women bring "much-needed leadership and perspectives" to the climate conversation, emphasized WELA, adding that "better environmental outcomes" often occur when women take charge in efforts toward clean energy, improved community infrastructure, and eco-friendly business practices, among others.
The WELA report said critical to success will be "care-based solutions" that "care for people and for the planet."
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