Being a woman in disasters: experiences of disaster workers in Turkey

Abstract

Socioeconomic conditions, cultural beliefs, traditional practices that disadvantage women and gender inequality cause women to be affected differently from men. In this study, we aimed to identify the problems faced by women exposed to disasters in Turkey through the experiences of disaster workers. For this purpose, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 13 disaster workers. Phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research designs, was used in the study. The data were evaluated by content analysis. Research data were categorized using codes, and themes and sub-themes were created. With the content analysis, four themes were determined as ‘Emotional Burden’, ‘Struggle’, ‘Vulnerability’ and ‘Gender’. Disasters have negatively affected women due to gender inequality. At the same time, women can be challenged in disasters. It can be recommended to develop gender-sensitive policies in disaster management and to ensure women’s participation in decision-making processes.