THE ROLE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN IN TACKLING WOMEN VULNERABILITIES IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Women vulnerabilities have been a significant issue in several socio-cultural and economic paradigms. However, in various disaster management literature women vulnerabilities are more prominent and destructive. The core objective is to understand the role of the federal government of Pakistan in combating women vulnerability in disaster management. To do so, this study understands women vulnerability’s patterns and characteristics in Pakistan and examines the policies and guidelines that ensure women inclusiveness in disaster management in the country. To reflect upon this objective, this study stipulates the importance of women inclusiveness in all stages of the disaster management cycle in Pakistan. This research also explored women-oriented policies, frameworks and approaches present at the International and at federal level (NDMA). It has also provided information on the fundamental challenges for NDMA in ensuring women inclusiveness at all phases DM. It also understood the predicaments in internalizing these women-oriented policies at grassroot level. To fulfill its purpose, this research applies a qualitative research methodology which was conducted through interviewing professional experts from the federal level NDMA. To provide greater insight, respondents from PDMA-KP were also interviewed. Through the findings it was revealed that while women's vulnerabilities have been featured under the Gender and Child Cell, there are no exclusively designed approaches that focus on women and their needs separately. Through the results, this research has benefited to meet its purpose and objective. This study has also been able to scrutinize the details and discussions from the findings and suggested few policy implications by suggesting a Women Inclusive Approach (WIA) for the by keeping in mind the federal and provincial level concerns.