In the fall of 2005, I wrote an article examining gender-based violence in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina,
There is also a significantly increased risk of sexual assault, particularly for those who relocated to shelters to escape the storm. Economic uncertainty, increased stress, powerlessness and the scarcity of basic necessities are all contributing factors to the increased risks faced by women. In the aftermath of Katrina, women who were living in violent relationships before the storm hit may experience increased violence in its aftermath and may find themselves dependent on the perpetrators of the violence for their basic survival, particularly if they have been separated from family and social networks.
The breakdown of law enforcement and social service agencies such as rape crisis centers during and after the storm particularly exacerbated the problem.
A study released this week by the American Medical Association’s (AMA) Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness journal finds that indeed women in Mississippi ” who were displaced to other parts of the state by Hurricane Katrina faced increased sexual and physical violence following the disaster.”
The study found higher rates of GBV (gender-based violence) among women who lived in trailer parks and who were displaced in Mississippi, than immediately following the disaster. After two years, GBV rates decreased, but were still higher than before the hurricane. Efforts to reduce GVB violence should be incorporated into disaster planning.
The study is very important because it quantifies, and thus makes real what women’s advocates have known must be true. As the study’s lead author, Lynn Lawry, M.D., M.S.P.H., M,Sc., senior health stability/humanitarian assistance specialist in the Office of the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense says,
“Disaster planning and health services should include efforts to protect women and address subsequent health issues that arise among women exposed to domestic violence during and after a disaster situation.”
Let’s hope the folks at FEMA are listening to Dr.Lawry.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.