When was the tsunami?
26th December 2004
Why did women want to move away from the coast after the tsunami? (source)
Frightened that another tsunami would reoccur.
S. Chakrawertti, ‘Husbands pitted against wives’, Times of India, 2005
Which gender suffered the highest mortality rate?
Women. In some areas, four times more women died.
What was the impact of high female mortality rates? (4) (source)
- Women forced into early marriages, without consent
- Mental illness
(Times News Network, ‘Tsunami post-script: Women bear it all’, Times of India, 2005) - Weaken the status of women and girls and their ability to negotiate both within and outside the family
(Oxfam International, ‘The tsunami’s impact on women’, 2005) - Women more afraid of another tsunami than men
(Katharina Thurnheer, ‘A house for a daughter?’, 2009)
In which Indian village were 35% of deaths children? (source)
Akkaraipettai in Nagapattinam district in Tamail Nadu
Arun Kumar Dasa, ‘Tsunami children rekindle hope’, Times of India, 2005
How did the Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments attempt to provide women with a safer environment in temporary housing?
Stationed women fire and police officers and female doctors
Where is Cuddalore?
City in Tamil Nadu
How many men and women died in Cuddalore in the tsunami?
146 men and 391 women
How many more women died than men in Cuddalore after the tsunami?
3 times
How did governments in Kerala and Tamil Nadu try to ensure women’s security?
Initiative to station women fire and police officers and women doctors in the camps and affected villages
How did Oxfam International perceive initiatives by Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments to improve security for women?
A very positive move that helped to deter violence against women and provided women survivors with a safer environment
What did NGOs and government agencies prioritise in terms of resurrecting livelihoods?
Making fishing supplies and boats available to men
How many people were killed in Sri Lanka as a result of the tsunami? (Oxfam briefing note)
More than 30,000
How many people were killed in India as a result of the tsunami? (Oxfam briefing note)
More than 10,000
Why did more women die than men in Sri Lanka? (3) (source)
- The traditional role of caring for their family kept them in and around their homes; many women were preparing breakfast when the tsunami struck
- Women couldn’t climb trees or swim
- In the fishing village of Dutchbar in Batticaloa District, where over 90% of population killed, women were taking baths in the sea
(Oxfam International, ‘The tsunami’s impact on women’, 2005)
Describe the uxori-matrilocal settlement pattern in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.
Men move into wife’s home after marriage. Contributed to greater autonomy for women. House and its compound predominantly owned by the wife and inherited through the maternal lineage.
Describe and briefly analyse one way that aid was channelled to women
Financial grants to establish businesses. Unsuccessful because resulted in many similar businesses offering similar services within proximity of one another. In most cases, economically unviable.
What policy did the government in Sri Lanka introduce to move people away from the coast?
Introduction of buffer zones that prohibited any permanent buildings on the coastline. People who had been living in these zones were to relocate and be granted support of housing construction schemes
What is the sex ratio in India? (source)
1.08:1 male to female
CIA, 2017 est.
What is the literacy rate for men and women in India? (source)
81.3% for men
60.6% for women
(CIA, 2015 est.)
What is the gender development index in India? (source)
0.819, which is a ranking of 131 out of 188
United Nations Development Programme, 2015
Why did more women than men die in India? (3) (source)
- Gendered division of labour: while men were out fishing, where waves could pass under boats, women were waiting on the shores for their husbands to return with the catch
- Women lost minutes by attempting to gather children and the elderly; left with only one or no hands to fight the waves
- Saris and long hair got caught on debris and foliage; if saris were stripped away, women were too embarrassed to climb into rescue boats naked
(Luke Juran, ‘The Gendered Nature of Disasters’, 2012)
What issues were there with government initiative to put new housing in both spouse’s names?
Failed to adjust property inheritance laws, so single women residing with parents were unlikely to inherit the home and wives feared that jointly-owned properties would be seized by sons or male relatives if their husband passed away.
What issues where there with temporary shelters? (3)
- Lacked a common work-space for women, which prevented them from resuming their home-based occupations
- Privacy and security concerns; women felt vulnerable given the number of unemployed, unoccupied male strangers loitering in camps
- Sanitation and health needs of women not factored into design and construction of shelters, as well as a shortage of female doctors
