'I thought you were more of a man than that': Men and disasters

The lived experience of men in disasters is unexpected. This paper draws on 10 years of research and publications focusing on interviews with men. Research in 2013 with 32 men and in 2018 with 26 men (aged 18-93 years) exposed the harm of gendered expectations. Men's narratives were harrowing; not just from a disaster's physical danger but equally damaging were assessments by society of men and how well they live up to the challenges of disasters. Masculinity was judged and consequences in the workplace and the home followed. Men rated their own perceived 'failures' and spoke of the barriers they faced in coming to terms with their experiences. Whether first responders to extreme events or young and old men caught up in disasters, men spoke of expectations from society, people in the workplace and family that they should be strong, stoic, brave and decisive. The literature identifies that gender stereotypes are more stringent when related to disasters. In the aftermath, the pressures only increase and are amplified by the very real barriers men face to access help to cope with their experiences. Disaster risk reduction will be enhanced by policies in the emergency management sector that prioritise wellbeing for its workers.