![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
. | ![]() |
. |
![]()
Three times as many women as men died in the vast tsunami that struck about a dozen Asian countries just after Christmas last year, a report by the Global Fund for Women said Tuesday. The San Francisco-based foundation said women also bore the brunt of key disasters this year, from Hurricane Stan in Guatemala to the massive earthquake in Kashmir and Hurricane Katrina in the United States. "The best estimates reveal that approximately three times as many women as men died in last year's tsunami, and according to early reports from Pakistan, more women than men were killed in the October 2005 earthquake," according to the report "Caught in the Storm: The Impact of Natural Disasters on Women." The precise number of women who died in the Asian tsunami has not been established as government statistics were not separated by gender, the foundation said, adding that its estimates were based on the sex of survivors. The report urged that women be included in pre- and post-disaster planning and called for, among other measures, long-term income-generating projects and jobs for women and equal aid distribution. National and international agencies must make special efforts to address the specific health needs of women in disaster situations, including providing suitable bathrooms, sanitary supplies, prenatal and maternity care, and psychological counseling, it said. "We are deeply inspired by the courage of women's organizations to persevere in the face of disasters, such as hurricanes and earthquakes," said Kavita Ramdas, president of the Global Fund, which focuses exclusively on advancing women's rights. "We see them take the lead in their communities to provide shelter, alleviate hunger, procure medicine, and demand participation in decisions about rebuilding their lives and livelihoods," she said. The foundation said information in its report came from firsthand accounts gathered by women in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Guatemala, Pakistan and the United States who conducted fact-finding visits to devastated areas, including displaced persons camps. Through working with 31 women's organizations in nine countries that have endured natural disasters, the Global Fund said it "has learned how traditional relief efforts fail women, the suffering that results, and how this failure can be reversed."
Source: Agence France-Presse Related Links Global Fund for Women TerraDaily Search TerraDaily Subscribe To TerraDaily Express ![]() ![]() Children were excluded from relief and reconstruction planning after last year's tsunami, leading aid agencies to waste much-needed resources, the global children's charity Plan said Tuesday.
|
![]() |
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service. |