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11-2007

The 2005 : A Perspective on Women's Experiences

Jennifer Parker Hamilton

Sarah Halvorson University of Montana - Missoula, [email protected]

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Recommended Citation Hamilton, Jennifer Parker and Halvorson, Sarah, "The 2005 Kashmir Earthquake: A Perspective on Women's Experiences" (2007). Geography Faculty Publications. 2. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/geography_pubs/2

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Geography at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Geography Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Mountain Research and Development Vol 27 No 4 Nov 2007: 296–301 doi:10.1659/mrd.0945

Jennifer Parker Hamilton Sarah J. Halvorson The 2005 Kashmir Earthquake A Perspective on Women’s Experiences 296

The 2005 Kashmir Earthquake is illustrative proximate to the epicenter. Earthquake plan- of the intensity and scope associated with ning and mitigation strategies in northern catastrophic earthquake disasters in moun- and elsewhere need to focus on tainous regions. The experience of the reducing women’s vulnerability and increas- immediate aftermath, relief and recovery, ing their resilience, while fostering feasible and community reconstruction underscores interventions to reduce disaster risk across how this event impacted mountain women, the population. We propose that the main particularly in their roles in rescue and relief elements should include pre-disaster vulner- efforts and in rebuilding households and ability assessments; the support of women’s communities. A situational analysis was access to resources and science-based undertaken in order to document and make earthquake education; active roles for recommendations for the significant chal- women in relief, rehabilitation, and rebuilding lenges and concerns facing women earth- efforts; and gender training among all disas- quake survivors in 3 of the valleys most ter relief and emergency services.

Scope of concern riences in the aftermath of the tragedy. Qualitative research methods were Social infrastructure and lifeways are dra- employed to capture local women’s voices matically altered in mountainous regions and to identify gender-sensitive disaster when catastrophic occur risk reduction strategies. (Figure 1). Earthquake impacts are typi- Mountain women are differentially cally far-reaching, leading to the oblitera- vulnerable to earthquake-related impacts tion of entire communities; the loss of owing to the well-documented interac- mountain transportation networks; the tions between gender, environmental haz- collapse of livelihoods and food systems; ards, and disasters (see Box 1). Women the breakdown of medical and social are considered a high risk social group, infrastructure; widespread impoverish- yet their vulnerability and resilience in the ment; and social isolation. earthquake disaster process remain poorly FIGURE 1 Critical infrastructure was impacted Within the context of a larger project understood and only partially acknowl- by landslides after the to assess the geological and societal edged. When women’s needs are not earthquake, forcing people impacts of the 2005 Kashmir Earthquake, assessed and addressed in initial relief to improvise in order to survive. (Photo by J.P. we recognized a deep need to identify, efforts, they are likely to be rendered Hamilton, November 2005) document, and foreground women’s expe- invisible throughout the rehabilitation and rebuilding processes. Women who are victims of gender-based discrimination, disempowered through forces of modern- ization, occupy vulnerable built environ- ments, and/or live in communities with high rates of male outmigration, are more likely to suffer disproportionately than men during and after earthquake disasters (Figure 2). It is also important to recog- nize that female survivors are often on the front lines of relief and reconstruction efforts.

The Kashmir quake: event and impact At 8:50 on the morning of 8 October 2005, northern Pakistan experienced a 7.6 magnitude earthquake. The earthquake was one of three large seismic events Development

FIGURE 2 An emergency tent village on the outskirts of provides little privacy and personal space for women. (Photo by J.P. Hamilton, November 2005) 297 occuring in Pakistan in 75 years. Quetta (1935) and Makran (1945) also suffered large (M=7.5+) earthquakes. The zilzila (Urdu for ‘earth movement’) that shook Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s regional capi- tal of and the surrounding area resulted in a landscape of physical destruction and humanitarian crisis. Pak- istan did not have a national disaster pre- paredness plan in place when the earth- quake struck. Critical infrastructure—hos- pitals, mosques, markets, power lines, and government offices—was severely affected. Children attending class in poorly con- structed buildings proved to be especially vulnerable when over 7000 schools col- lapsed. Approximately 3.2 million people were rendered homeless. Damage esti- mates quickly reached US$ 5.2 billion. News of the earthquake spread beyond the mountains, and motivated an outpour- Useful online resources on women, gender, and disaster management ing of response from individuals and civil society organizations in Pakistan and around the world. Chew L, Ramdas KN. 2005. Caught in the Storm: The Impact of Natural Disasters on Women. San Francisco, CA: The Global Fund for Women. http://www. According to official statistics released globalfundforwomen.org/cms/images/stories/downloads/disaster-report.pdf in mid-November 2005, 73,318 people Overview of post-disaster impacts faced by women and suggestions for gender-based perished as a result of the earthquake; considerations in preparedness, relief, and recovery. however, estimates of fatalities provided by Enarson E. 2006. The Gender and Disaster Sourcebook. Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: other sources are as high as 87,000. Based Gender and Disaster Network, University of Northumbria. http://www.gdnonline.org/ on our findings and those of other stud- sourcebook/index.htm ies, women made up a larger proportion Compilation of resources focused on the link between gender equality and disaster of the injury and mortality figures. Several risk reduction. inter-related factors contributed to women Enarson E, Meyreles L, Gonzalez M, Hearn Morrow B, Mullings A, Soares J. 2004. being at risk. First, the earthquake Working With Women at Risk: Practical Guidelines for Assessing Local Disaster Risk. Miami, FL: International Hurricane Center, Florida International University. occurred when many women were inside http://www.ihc.fiu.edu/lssr/workingwithwomen.pdf cleaning up after the morning meal. Sec- Action oriented step-by-step approaches to carrying out risk assessments among vul- ond, cheaply and shoddily constructed nerable women and to applying related outcomes to disaster planning and preparation. cement block houses and apartments col- Gender and Disaster Network. 2007. Practical Guides and Checklists. Newcastle upon lapsed, trapping or killing women inside Tyne, UK: Gender and Disaster Network, University of Northumbria. http://www. while they worked. The practice of purdah gdnonline.org/wot_practical.htm (ie gender segregation and female seclu- Listing of various gender and disaster-related materials promoting gender sensitivity sion from public space) was another factor in post-disaster assessments and reconstruction efforts. that further contributed to the location of Yonder A, Akcar S, Gopalan P. 2005. Women’s Participation in Disaster Relief and most women inside the private spaces of Recovery. SEEDS Pamphlet 22. New York: The Population Council. http://www. popcouncil.org/pdfs/seeds/Seeds22.pdf the home. In areas where purdah was not Summarizes information about the situation of women in post-disaster contexts and as strictly enforced, women were more provides a number of innovative methods for enhancing women’s roles in relief and likely to flee their homes at the first indi- recovery. cation of the earthquake. The reality of families and villages being partially or completely buried by clothing, and other basic necessities, rubble and landslide debris overwhelmed thereby leading to cases of exposure, the physical and psychological capacity of infant and child mortality, cold stress, and traditional social-support systems. The sur- other medical emergencies. In the midst viving women and their families experi- of this chaos, women became a fundamen- enced dramatic reductions in food, fuel, tal force in the struggle for survival and as Jennifer Parker Hamilton and Sarah J. Halvorson

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were reluctant to travel down to relief camps set up in Muzaffarabad, partly out of fear for the safety and security of women. NGO field teams based in the area estimated that 17,000 women were expected to give birth within two months of the earthquake and 50% of the married women in Kashmir were pregnant at the time of the earthquake. These women faced an overall lack of obstetrical care and squalid conditions for delivery. Med- ical and relief teams noted a critical lack of female medical personnel to evaluate and attend to women’s health needs. The United Nations High Commis- sion for Refugees (UNHCR) attempted to incorporate women’s perspectives into the relief and response phase early on by establishing a women’s committee in Muzaffarabad. Nevertheless, women con- fined to tent camps faced tremendous hardship. A needs assessment conducted FIGURE 3 Women in tent camps, such first responders caring for the injured and in November 2005 by the Shirkat Gah as the elderly woman pictured here, the dying (Figure 3). Women’s Resource Center, a women’s took on the roles of surrogate mothers and childcare providers for mothers who rights organization based in Lahore, iden- had been injured or died as a result of Relief and response tified a number of critical issues facing the earthquake. (Photo by J.P. Hamilton, June 2006) As the shock consumed the region days earthquake-impacted women including: and weeks following the earthquake, women played a critical role in sponta- • Accentuated gender barriers; neous and organized relief efforts, dig- • An increase in personal insecurity; ging out survivors, feeding those in need, • Unmet reproductive needs; and building and maintaining temporary • Inadequate bathing and latrine facili- shelters. In the spirit of self-reliance, ties; women’s kinship and friendship networks • Insufficient accommodation for provided earthquake victims a means of hygiene needs; and moral support, security, comfort, and • Problems in obtaining compensation access to resources. A major coping strat- because of lost identification cards and egy employed by earthquake survivors relocation. and displaced families was to take refuge with relatives in areas that either suffered Stories circulated about physical violence minimal damage or were quickly stabi- and abuse in tent villages and about young lized. However, the scale of damage and girls and infants being abducted and ille- trauma left many mountain women and gally put up for adoption. Others spoke of their families without access to even the girls, who at the time were separated from basic security that social networks typical- their families, being naively handed over ly provide. Thousands were forced to to men posing as male relatives. reside in tent camps for extended peri- ods of time. Rebuilding lives and communities As the relief effort was unfolding, the The reconstruction process has been criti- highly patriarchal social structure and pur- cal for determining how and when fami- dah made it extremely difficult for women lies have been able to regain a sense of to evacuate mountain villages and to normalcy. In May 2006, inconsistent access aid materials, healthcare, and com- progress on the rebuilding of homes, pensation for their losses. Some families shops, and government buildings was evi- living in remote areas at higher elevations dent. A general sense of confusion mixed

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299 with disdain regarding the rebuilding effort was conveyed in conversations and interviews conducted with women residing in tent camps and taking shelter in partial- ly destroyed homes:

“We have to make a decision between shel- ter and food right now. It could take 1000 years [for the community to recover].” (G.J., a mother caring for her family in their partially destroyed home in Patika, May 2006)

“We didn’t receive any money or a fan for our tent. The government has informed us that we must leave the tent village.” (S.S., a resident of Muzaffarabad living with her family in a local tent camp, May 2006)

For women still caring for their fami- lies in the tent camps, scabies, inadequate sanitation, poor hygiene conditions, and constant fears of waterborne disease out- breaks persisted (Figure 4). Women inter- viewed during our field research seemed opportunity to learn a variety of handi- FIGURE 4 Limited access to potable water, inadequate sanitation facilities, especially responsive to the suggestions craft skills and income-generating activi- and dismal environmental health and recommendations of the government ties. The media attention drawn to the conditions are challenges women face in caring for their families in the tent and NGOs about the manner in which area prompted donors to revitalize ailing villages. (Photograph by J.P. Hamilton, buildings should be reconstructed (for school systems and to open a number of November 2005) example, lightweight wood and metal new girls’ schools throughout the region. sheeting shelters as opposed to un-rein- Though gender and vulnerability studies forced concrete structures). The recom- are not new to hazards research, the mended shelters are potentially safer dur- event has opened a door for an increase ing seismic events than cinderblock and in discussions among government agen- concrete structures; however, they lack cies, non-governmental organizations, proper insulation against the cold found and social activists in Pakistan about the in the mountains. One and a half years need to bring women’s ideas, concerns, after the earthquake (March 2007), over and perspectives to the forefront of disas- 30,000 people were still living in 44 tent ter risk planning and mitigation as well as camps slated to be closed at the end of to relief, recovery and reconstruction May 2007. Those choosing to stay in the efforts. “God took everything tent villages past the deadline were away, but God helped us instructed that they would receive no fur- Recommendations and gave us all of these ther relief aid. things. We even get miner- Based on the findings of this Kashmir al water.” (H.J., a local Positive outcomes earthquake situation analysis as well as suggestions by local women that have woman from Balakot As the quotation from a local woman indi- been recorded by other action research residing in a Balakot tent cates (see margin), people have demon- initiatives, we recommend the following camp, May 2006) strated an amazing amount of resilience strategies to local communities and disas- and optimism despite the devastation and ter relief agencies and organizations. The personal tragedy. Local examples of the intent of these recommendations is to ways in which women’s status and gender ensure that the specific needs and contri- inequality have been challenged stand out butions of mountain women are institu- as small victories for some. New centers tionalized in earthquake disaster risk were established to give women the reduction plans: Jennifer Parker Hamilton and Sarah J. Halvorson

300 FIGURE 5 The physical processes that cause earthquakes and the actions that will keep household members safe are the topics of this educational poster distributed in Urdu. (Courtesy of Dr Rebecca Bendick, Department of Geosciences, The University of Montana)

1. Conduct pre-disaster vulnerability and gency medical training, land rights, needs assessments essential health services, income-gen- The socioeconomic and cultural con- erating activities, vocational training, text of vulnerability and gender-based and micro-credit programs. Infrastruc- needs in pre-disaster settings should ture, responsive institutions, and be evaluated and incorporated into access to markets are vital to expand- disaster preparedness plans. ing disaster-resistant livelihood 2. Support women’s access to health and options for women. livelihood resources 3. Utilize women’s indigenous knowledge Women should be entitled to emer- Women’s traditional knowledge-based

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insights should be considered and was offered the month before the integrated into early warning plans. Kashmir Earthquake are needed. Given their intimate connections to 6. Provide physical and legal protection the environment, women are well- Accountability for the safety and the placed for identifying and monitoring protection of women and their land potential disaster precursors such as and inheritance rights must be behavioral changes among animal upheld by all organizations and agen- populations and changes in weather cies. Tent village residents must be and water levels. Elderly women may accurately registered, and detailed have memories of past disasters and, records of arrivals and departures given the opportunity, could pass life- must be maintained. Widows and girls saving information on to younger gen- are particularly at risk of being ‘mar- erations. ried off’ by force and social pressure 4. Provide science-based earthquake education in post-disaster situations. Provisions Extending formal and informal must be made for women who are illit- earthquake education initiatives to erate and/or lack personal identifica- Pakistani women is imperative. A tion documents. starting point should be promoting 7. Ensure psychological care literacy, developing appropriate cur- Research suggests that depression and riculum materials, and training anxiety-related disorders after a disas- teachers and women leaders. Train- ter are more prevalent in women than ing should address life-saving earth- in men. Standards for treating trauma quake drills, basic earthquake sci- in earthquake-related crises should be ence, risk awareness, and informa- culture-, gender-, and age-sensitive. tion about building seismically Male members of the population appropriate dwellings (Figure 5). should also be recipients of psycho- Women should be respected as able logical care and appropriate therapy FURTHER READING community defenders and disaster in order to reduce the risk of gender- management professionals. based violence and exploitation. Halvorson SJ. 2005. Growing up in 5. Give women active roles in relief, rehabili- 8. Provide gender training to military and Gilgit: An exploration of girls’ life- worlds in northern Pakistan. In: Nagel tation, and rebuilding disaster relief organizations C, Falah GW, editors. Geographies of Female liaisons need to be identified While the majority of displaced adults Muslim Women: Gender, Religion, and Space. New York: Guilford Press, early to act as representatives for vil- during earthquakes are women, most pp 19–44. lages or neighborhoods. Aid distribu- aid and relief operations work Hicks E, Pappas G. 2006. Coordinat- tion methods should be culturally sen- through channels that are biased ing disaster relief after the Earthquake. Society 43(5): sitive and recognize households head- towards if not dominated by men. 42–50. ed by women, the number of Gender awareness training should be International Federation of Red Cross members, and the special dietary routine for all military and relief (IFRC). 2006. Gender issues in emer- gencies. In: Walter J, editor. World Dis- needs of pregnant women. More organizations and is critical for secur- aster Report: Focus on Neglected training courses similar to the Pak- ing the full protection of mountain Crises. Geneva, Switzerland: Interna- tional Federation of Red Cross and istan Red Crescent Society training women and their access to aid and Red Crescent Societies, pp 140–163. course on disaster preparedness that relief. IUCN [The World Conservation Union]. 2006. Hearing Their Voices: The Women and Children in the Earth- quake Affected Areas of Pakistan. http://www.duryognivaran.org/duryog/ AUTHORS resources, development studies, and gender geography. images/newsindex/Rport%20on% She has carried out research in the mountainous regions 20women%20&%20Childeren%20by% Jennifer Parker Hamilton and Sarah J. Halvorson of Central and South Asia since 1994. 20IUCN.pdf; accessed on 28 August Department of Geography, Social Science Building 203, 2007. The University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812-5040, ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Mehta M. 2007. Gender Matters: USA. Lessons for Disaster Risk Reduction in [email protected]; The authors wish to acknowledge financial support from South Asia. Kathmandu, Nepal: [email protected] The University of Montana and the National Science ICIMOD [International Centre for Jennifer Hamilton has served as a research assistant Foundation Small Grant for Exploratory Research Pro- Integrated Mountain Development]. with the Mountain Geography Research Group at The Univer- gram (EAR #0602675) awarded to Lewis Owen, Universi- Shirkat Gah Women’s Resource Cen- sity of Montana since 2005. Her interests include hazards ty of Cincinnati, and Ulrich Kamp, The University of Mon- ter. 2006. Rising From the Rubble: and disasters, indigenous knowledge, and gender studies. tana. The insights and suggestions of Susanne Wymann, Special Bulletin on the 2005 Earth- Sarah Halvorson is an associate professor of geogra- Anne Zimmermann, Jeffrey Gritzner, and Ulrich Kamp are quake in Pakistan. Lahore, Pakistan: phy, specializing in environmental hazards, water also greatly appreciated. Shirkat Gah.