The Neglect of Women’s Capacities in Disaster Management Systems in Iran: A Qualitative Study

Although both women and men can be vulnerable to the negative consequences of disasters, women are generally looked at as helpless victims. Considering women as a highly vulnerable group can be the result of highlighting the negative effects of disasters on women rather than their coping capacities. To fill this gap, the present study aimed to explore women’s capacity to cope in the recent natural disasters of Iran. This qualitative study was carried out in East Azerbaijan, Bushehr and Mazandaran, stricken by earthquakes and floods in the years 2012 and 2013. A total of 20 affected people and key informants were interviewed using the purposive sampling method. Content analysis using the Graneheim approach was applied for data analysis. Four categories were extracted from the data, namely disaster management skills, handling family, family livelihood and special properties. The destructive effects of disasters on women and girls can be modified by mainstreaming their capacities in the post-disaster phases. The findings suggest that women’s participation in disaster management should be strengthened in line with their socio-cultural and economic contexts. In addition, the instruments, tools and space for farming, ranching, carpet weaving and other indoor economic activities should be provided for both men and women to decrease post-disaster poverty and livelihood challenges.