Research Paper
Gender Issues in Livelihood and Flood Disaster
Case studies of Kamra and Kort Murad villages, Jhang District-Punjab
Written By: Kashif Hameed
Journalist Resource Center (JRC), Islamabad
1.
Introduction:
Like many other persistent developmental issues in Pakistan, gender issues are also less
explored along with its marginal position in the planning process, policy formulation and
implementation of various development activities ranging from national, provincial to
local level. The typical subjugated image of women in Pakistani society portrays
centuries old patriarchy system and resultant of other factors like social customs and
traditions, illiteracy, limited facilities of technical trainings, lack of income generation
activities, absence of political will and culturally prescribed moral and economic
dependence of women on male family members. Although women empowerment and
emancipation has been advocated in recent gender related policies of government, yet it is
far away from harsh ground realities and its implementation remained as a dream for
women in Pakistan. It is need of the time to reinterpret gender incorporating local value
and cultural system of society to minimize disparities in terms of education, health and
socio-economic development of women and other marginalized segments of society.
1.1
Gender and disaster
Issue of gender has been neglected and rarely examined beyond the simple analysis to
look in detail at gender differences particularly gender inequality during disaster relief
work not only in Pakistan but internationally. There has been a “systematic ignoring” 1 of
gender, which is beginning to change in contemporary disaster research towards
understanding gender roles and responsibilities, vulnerabilities and capacities and its
numerous contribution in preparing, securing and sustaining livelihood during disaster.
Research work in South Asia by Duryog Nivaran2 clearly indicates the lack of awareness
on gender issues among the actors of both practitioner and policy levels engaged in the
field of disaster mitigation and management showing absence of gender analysis in any
disaster related plan. Lack of conceptual analysis on gender issues by applying
operational tools and guidelines and rarity of documentation about indigenous knowledge
and information on ground level practical aspects of addressing gender issues in disaster
mitigation and management were identified as important missing factors in past South
Asian regional level workshops. Short term post disaster relief operations in past ignored
gender issues and needs and their possible potential role in disaster mitigation strategies.
Gender needs and issues of disaster are also strongly evident in Pakistani society
depicting multiple types of problems for women and marginalized groups. Mainly such
1
problems include restricted mobility due to cultural factors, difficulties in nurturing the
family as lack of food and water, displacement, health issues, concerns about the children
and elderly and loss of personal possessions raising their economic problems. Despite
their hard work and strength in facing disaster situation, they were generally ignored as
crucial source in reducing risk and vulnerabilities. In order to seek active role of women
in disaster preparedness and mitigation plans, it become imperative to identify and
formulate locally acceptable ways and means for active participation and women
representation in community decision making structures to highlight their concerns and
needs which are required to be solved at individual and communal level.
1.2
Purpose of research
This research paper is part of case studies in four South Asian countries about gender
issues in livelihood and disaster and build on the information generated and issues raised
by ITDG and Duryog Nivaran research. It is specifically analyzing gender issues in
livelihood and flood disaster within Pakistan by further selecting rural case study areas in
District Jhang, Punjab. It is probing deeper into the gender concerns in pre, during and
post flood disaster situation, differential impact of flood disaster on the age cycle of
women, their needs and concerns, impacts on marginalized occupational groups and
potential ways and means of incorporating gender vulnerabilities and capacities into
flood disaster mitigation and management planning. With the applications of gender
related participatory tools and research methodologies in study areas and related outcome
findings, this paper is aiming to make viable recommendations on how to make
mitigation and flood relief planning gender sensitive and more effective in Pakistan
within regional perspective. Recommendations may facilitate in the future activity of
regional disaster network to formulate guidelines for gender sensitive disaster mitigation
and management for South Asia.
1.3
Overview of the research area
Selected case study areas in district Jhang are representing two different types of average
size rural settlements. Moaza Kamra is located in upstream areas of head Trimmu where
most of the villagers have small landholdings and comparatively smaller settlement size.
Kort Murad is representation of down stream areas of head Trimmu where feudal culture
is dominant having strong linkages with other feudal areas of South Punjab. (See attached
location map). Majority of households in Kort Murad are landless and dependent on local
feudal while working as laborer during harvesting and sowing season. Most of the
households in both villages are economically marginalized and occurrences of regular
flood events further make them vulnerable to face disaster in their life.
Social and cultural value system is quite similar to other riverine communities in the
region. Local people have different dialect with mixing of Punjabi and Siriaki language.
Nearly 100% communities in both villages are Muslims and have deep respect and belief
in shrines and pirs paying regular visit to such places. Moazza Kamra has one tribal
Baloach community where as in Kort Murad mixed cast family system is prevailing
depicting highly stratified society as low cast families are socially segregated and holds
2
marginal position in the village. Local landlords have complete control over power
structure and decision-making. Livelihood activities in both villages are more agrarian
based dependent on annual crops and livestocks. Low-income level and poor life standard
are evident in both villages similar to other rural areas in the country. Large percentage of
poor and destitute households in both case study areas indicates high rate of economic
vulnerabilities, as economic activities in the flood prone region are low.
Women, children and old age people in both villages actively take part with their
respective male members to generate income resources for family livelihood. Male and
female activities in both communities are socially segregated and male dominance is
evident in traditional community social structure depicting gender bias. There are a
variety of gender issues prevailing in both communities having physical, political, social
and economic implications on the livelihood activities of women and other marginalized
groups. Some of the important gender issues are lack of social facilities like education
and health, restricted mobility, low nourishment level, less income generation
opportunities, early marriages, preference of male child over girl and poor access and
control over family and communal resources. Socio-political participation in communal
decision-making structure is almost non-existent and women are generally sidelined and
ignored in community development process with less priority to strengthen and develop
this important human resource for enhancing livelihood.
It is evident from both case study areas that women hold important traditional roles and
responsibilities in flood disaster situation. Important activities are food nourishing to
family members, taking care of household luggage, children and old age people and
working as laborer for the rehabilitation of their damaged houses and agricultural land in
post flood scenario. They even sell their jewelry and other personnel possessions in
rehabilitation process of family. During floods women, children and old age people
become more vulnerable in terms of restricted mobility in and around the flooded houses,
toilet problem, health diseases and increased fear and anxiety of damages caused by flood
disaster.
Past flood mitigation and management practices at communal and governmental level
shows that there is no efforts to reduce gender concerns in flood situation. Lack of
general awareness among community and other stakeholders on importance of solving
gender issues in livelihood and flood disaster is one of the crucial factors restricting
adoption of practicable improvement measures within local resources and existing
livelihood patterns. Total absence of gender sensitive flood relief policy at national and
local level is significant missing link ignoring grievances and plight of flood stricken
women community which is also observed in case study areas.
2.
Methodology
Following are some of the important points providing justification for selecting the case
study areas to analyze gender issues in livelihood and flood disaster.
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o Jhang district has been selected due to common history of occurrence of flood
disasters and damages caused by river Jhelum and Chenab during monsoon
season. Furthermore, intensity of floods is varying in upstream and down stream
areas of head Trimmu, a merger point of both rivers which is located in Jhang
district, providing strong basis of inter-comparison for similarities and differences
in flood damages
o Moazza Kamra adjacent to the riverbank of Jhelum before head Trimmu, and
Kort Murad near river Chenab after head Trimmu, were selected as representative
flood stricken villages, depicting gender concerns and inequalities prevailing in
the region.
o There are strong evidences of the existence of under study research problem in
both villages as consistent flood damages are happening for a longer period of
time creating multiple disaster related gender issues in existing livelihood
patterns.
o Physical and population size in both villages were satisfactory to apply PRA tools
conveniently within the allocated time of field research. Another factor was
willingness of both communities to spare time and share information with PRA
research team.
Participatory research methodologies, tools and techniques were adopted in the target
communities to deal research in subjective manner and detailed information was
collected on gender issues in livelihood and flood disaster. This research paper is part of
another interlinked research component on livelihood options in flood disaster3 being
completed involving same case study areas. However, in addition to syntheses generated
from this interrelated component, separate gender analysis related PRA tools were also
applied to get specific information on gender problems. It includes female focus group
discussions, SSI and case histories, women mobility, daily and seasonal activities,
capacities and vulnerability analysis and also analytical risk assessment by applying a
gendered and other vulnerable group’s approach. Three days and nights stay in each
target community facilitated to become informal with community and more direct
observation to look in detail the livelihood situation and effects of flood disaster on
women, children, old age people and other marginalized groups.
Stratified random sampling technique was applied in both case study areas to achieve
maximum representation of different socio-economic groups within women and other
marginalized community. Separate women gatherings for focus group discussions on
gender issues were done with the help of local female facilitator to identify and analyze
their collective problems and possible ways and means to enhance their livelihood
options within existing socio-cultural norms. Maximum efforts have been made to collect
representative sample from both communities. A variety of quantitative and qualitative
data, diagrams and maps obtained from sampling were analyzed and translated during
post field research work. After cross checking information obtained from the application
of different PRA tools, analysis on gender issues in case study areas is presented in the
later sections.
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3. Literature review
A)
Macro Level Gender Issues
Pakistan has signed several international commitments4 in last two decades to protect
basic human rights and ensure gender equality. Gender related national policies, plans
and strategies are being restructured and reformed to improve women status in Pakistan.
National Plan of Action has been prepared on the basis of a national participatory
process, involving federal and provincial government, NGO, women organizations and
individual experts which establish a set of priority actions formulated to help achieve the
agenda for the empowerment of women in Pakistan. It aims to facilitate women’s
participation in all spheres of life besides ensuring protection of women’s right within the
family and the society. Another UNDP-G.O.P project titled “gender equality Umbrella
project” (GEUP) seeks to contribute to the government’s efforts to reduce gender
inequality in Pakistan by channeling technical assistance to various lien ministries and
departments of the govt. and civil society partners in support of the implementation of the
national plan of action and specific activities to promote gender equality and gender
mainstreaming. Social action programme achieved a few progress to increase female
literacy and health, promoting population planning and improving rural water supply and
sanitation5.
Historically women development in Pakistan suffered mostly due to a lack of political
commitment as well as to growth-oriented, rather then equity-oriented, economic policies
coupled with the implementation of a set of laws, highly discriminatory against women.
Gaps in the real implementation of gender policies, historic socio-cultural restraints, lack
of access to all forms of resources and opportunities, poor capacity and flaws in
institutional structures are major constraints in bringing down gender disparities and
fulfillment of regional and global commitments. An increasingly disabling environment
for women’s decision making and spread of anti women values/practices under the guise
of promoting religious orthodoxy by conservative extremists is dangerous emerging trend
particularly visible in less developed regions within Pakistan. Fundamental gaps in
process between intentions/documents and implementation, lack of interest, gaps between
needs and resource allocations and constantly increasing demand due to high poverty rate
are other persistent issues and constraints in gender development.
Progress in gender issues is very slow particularly in poverty stricken rural areas of
Pakistan as currently reflected in women’s development indicators. High inflationary
trends, high population growth rates, environment degradation, and structural adjustment
policies are contributing to the increasing feminization of poverty. Women and girls in
poor households bear a disproportionately high share of the burden of poverty. The
greatest level of deprivation in poor women and girls is reflected in their low nutritional
status, high mortality and lower levels of education. In rural areas incidence of women
poverty is higher then in urban areas because of their heavy dependence on seasonal
agricultural wage work, which is the main source of employment for rural women6.
5
The gap in health care between boys and girls is significantly higher along with
differentials in child mortality are more marked among poor households particularly in
rural areas. Pakistan’s maternal mortality rate, estimated between 300-600 per 100,000
live births, is one of the highest in the world. (NPA: 1998) Factors, which mainly
contribute to restrict improvements in women’s health situation, are malnutrition,
inadequate outreach of primary and health care particularly in rural areas, social
conservatism, insufficient progress in family planning and non-availability of sanitation
and potable water supply facilities. Similarly a major portion of poor households
particularly in rural areas have significantly higher gaps in education and literacy
between men and women and between boys and girls. For poor families the choice of
educating the girls has to be balanced against survival strategies and most often the
decision on whom to educate is made in favor of the boy. Educational institution suffers
from a lack of physical infrastructure and facilities. Combined with the long distance girls
and female teachers have to travel to reach school, these impact negatively on their
enrolment at the primary level7 and also effecting participation of women at other
educational level restricting their development opportunities and upward mobility.
B)
Micro Level Gender Issues in relation to Flood Disaster
Most of the gender related differences in disaster situations arise from the differential
roles and responsibilities man and women undertake in their day-to-day lives. Women, in
most South Asian societies have almost the entire responsibility of the household and
reproduction tasks, and the responsibility of ensuring the food and water security for
family survival. In a disaster situation too, irrespective of the losses and trauma, women
continue to hold their responsibility. The most important issue deserving emphasis is that,
contrary to popular perceptions; women are not helpless victims but display great
strength in extreme situations.8 They possess skills, resilience and appropriate coping
knowledge, but their capacity largely remained invisible. Women’s strength is
demonstrated in preparing for emergencies, saving life during emergencies and building
livelihood in post emergency situations. Therefore women are assets, they are a resource,
which is under utilized.9
Previous South Asian case studies10 show that within cultural, religious and other social
barriers women display strength in extreme disaster situations but largely disaster
mitigation related institutions remained fail to recognize their strength, to identify
women’s capacity as a resource in risk reduction and management. Ground level
experience suggests that technological and managerial skills women use to run their
households and families can be used in disaster management and such a contribution can
greatly help a community response effort. It also points out that with appropriate
interventions to provide women with necessary information and skills they can make an
enormously positive change in reducing risk and vulnerabilities. The need for including
gender issues and active participation of women in mitigation plans and preparedness is
clearly shown by past work on gender and disaster.
Natural disaster should be seen within the context of social and political disaster and their
effects are socially and politically meditated, and differentially distributed, and poor rural
women and their children are those most at risk. (Shaw: 1992:202). Women, children and
6
old age people belonging to low occupational groups always face very difficult situation
in disaster causing unbearable social crisis and suffering. Problems ranging from physical
needs like food, water, etc to variety of post disaster related health diseases, restricted
mobility, loss of home and privacy, economic loss and difficulty in finding their due
share for rehabilitation from flood relief organizations. Their vulnerabilities increase as
lack of understanding on gender issues among general masses who are more influenced
by prevailing gender discriminatory values and norms. It is significant to identify
dominant social norms which have negative impact on raising gender issues in disaster
situation while at the same time striving to forge new gender relationships and norms of
behavior that do not oppress women and other marginalized groups.
In 1992 Pakistan experienced one of the most severe floods of this century. Many
physical and organizational structures were tested in a way that they had never before and
they failed the test miserably. Pattan in its work with the flood effected riverine
communities of Sargodha and Muzafargarh districts (located within Punjab) recognized
that the impact of disaster was different for women and men that each gender had its own
gender specific needs.11 Pattan evolved a strategy to address gender specific needs during
both relief and rehabilitation while aimed at using the opportunity of the disaster to
develop institutional structure, that would in the longer term, develop the capacity of
women and men to reduce their vulnerability to disaster. In this regard, awareness
campaigns and community dialogues on gender issues, use of female relief workers
during flood relief operations, distribution of food items among women through local
women facilitator, Joint ownership right of women in the reconstruction of flood
devastated houses were some of the important steps. Joint ownership contracts clearly
states that in the case of divorce or separation, whoever wants to retain ownership must
pay the other half of the value of house. Joint ownership made a tremendous impact on
the lives of the women, on gender relations and on the community as a whole.
Oxfam’s work12 with flood effected riverine communities in Pakistan and their relief
model attempted to fulfill the needs of women in disaster situation while targeting
structural changes required improving the status of women by redistribution of roles and
by changing existing gender relations. Oxfam worked with partners who actively employ
women staff so that relief and rehabilitation work is gender sensitive in its approach.
Women’s opinion is considered important during assessment before and after disaster.
Through seminars and workshops Oxfam created awareness to bring changes in the
attitude of orthodox grass root level organization. Oxfam also made available women
doctors and established separate facilities for women in temporary flood shelters. Women
victims were involved in evaluation and their views of rehabilitation priorities have been
found to be useful for successful implementation. During 1995 floods Oxfam responded
in three different phases as in first immediate phase basic short term relief facilities were
provided to 3500 families, in second phase activities were extended to benefit further
9000 families and after further assessments in phase three 5000 families in worst effected
lower sindh areas were benefited by providing relief services and seeds to replace
destroyed seeds. Relief approach was gender sensitive and main target groups were
destitute women, sick poor family, landless or small landholding family and unemployed
laborers renders by floods.
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In view of non-existence of gender sensitive flood mitigation strategies in Pakistan, work
of Oxfam and Pattan are praiseworthy and lessons learned from their experiences need to
be incorporated in evolving future policies on gender and flood disaster. Interventions of
NGO’s/donors in few selected areas within their specific policy outlines and concerns are
not enough and need to be further work out to address gender issues of a large number of
flood effected depressed communities in Pakistan. Restrictions generated by Macro level
gender issues are other contributory factors in the present dismal situation of disaster-hit
women and other marginalized communities.
3.
3.1
Gender livelihood analysis
Jhang district perspective
Total area of the district is 8,809 Sq. Kms and its current population is more then three
millions. There are 1,040 villages (Moazas) and 10 urban localities in the district where
as 80% of the total population is mostly living in feudal dominant rural areas. The surface
of the district presents two well-marked topographic landscapes. These include the sand
dunes of Thal desert west of the Jhelum River and a rich fertile plain east of the Jhelum
and the Chenab. Floods are a common phenomenon in the district Jhang as country’s two
big rivers Chenab and Jhelum flow through its entire length. The land along the banks of
the rivers is flooded almost each year and lands away from the rivers also targeted by
high floods in the past years. Numerous flood damages have been occurred in past
causing death casualties, loss of agricultural land, crop and livestock, house destruction,
damages to infrastructures like roads, public buildings, canal and irrigation system and
disrupted transportation and essential public services because of road blockage by the
floodwater.
Agriculture related economic activities are dominant in Jhang district with few industrial
establishments in textile and small service industry. Native feudals have control over
resources and on their respective local rural population due to possession of hereditary
large agriculture landholdings where village people work as laborer during harvesting
and sowing seasons. Mostly houses in village belong to local landlords, which had
further contributed in villager’s complete dependence on feudals to earn their livelihood
even at the expense of life long exploitations. High rate of social stratification,
unemployment and lack of opportunities had raised poverty level and immigration of
rural population towards larger cities. Gender issues and inequality are truly reflected in
centuries old static low status of women and other large marginalized rural population in
Jhang district. Occurrences of consistent flood damages in these deprived rural areas had
increased the elements of vulnerability in existing livelihood patterns.
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3.2
Introduction to case study areas:
a)
Historic Development:
Both case study areas come under the jurisdiction of district Jhang and 30-35 Kms away
from Jhang city. Moaza Kamra is located along left bank of River Jhelum in upstream
areas of head trimmu and bounded from all side by the river and flood protection bund
built for nearby town Atthara Hazari, other villages and national highway towards district
Liaya. Accessibility to Kamra is much difficult as stagnant floodwater pool near
protection bund left no dry way. In order to reach Kamra one need to pass through either
from Jhelum or large floodwater pool by boat. Moaza Kamra was originated 200 years
ago by a migrated Baloach tribe. Due to change in the watercourse of river Jhelum and
flood disaster it had been shifted twice before coming to the existing location. Last fifty
years development trends13 show that cultivated agricultural land has been increased from
125 acres in 1960 to 500 acres in 2000 and as well population and number of houses also
increased up to 485 and 69 respectively. Domestic animals also increased as becoming
another economic source for livelihood. However during 1992 floods Kamra lost some
domestic animals drown in the flash flood water. With the addition of cultivated land and
reduction in the grassy land and old trees, woodlands in the immediate vicinity has been
shortened from 450 acres in 1960 to 175 acres in year 2000.
Kort Murad is located on Atthara Hazari-Garh Maharaja link road in the down stream
areas of Head Trimmu and 2km away from existing watercourse of River Chenab. Their
agricultural lands also come under the river bead areas. It is 5km away from Atthara
Hazari and accessibility through local road is good. Kort Murad is one the historic rural
settlement in the region as it is more then 500 years old-recorded history established by
local Siyyal tribe. Like Moaza Kamra, it also had been shifted thrice before establishing
on current site. The reasons were the changing course of river Chenab and high
devastating floods in the past. Past Kort Murad was badly destroyed by high floods in
early part of the last century and it was much larger rural settlement as compare to the
existing one. Historical growth of Kort Murad shows that it also gain in terms of
cultivable agricultural land, number of houses, live stock and more productivity in the
three cash crops being produced in this area. Floods in 1973 devastated the complete
village and it was again rebuild on the same side as number of houses decreased from 110
in 1970 to 59 in 1980. Many families migrated out and shifted elsewhere. Latterly
number of houses remained same, as the local feudal owns village land.
Analysis of evolutionary historical development in both villages shows that they achieve
gain in the productivity of crops, livestock and population. Floods hit the villages many
time in the past fifty-year’s history. Major floods came during the years 1959, 73,76, 92
and 1996 effecting livelihood of all local inhabitants. Low floods provided fertility to the
agricultural land and less damages occurred. After large floods people rehabilitated
themselves until more floods come again and it has become habitual acts of local
villagers to face floods and its related disasters.
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b)
Land uses
Built environment in both villages is quite similar to other rural area in the Punjab. Major
land uses in Kamra are houses; agricultural land, mosque, boys and girls separate primary
schools and two shrines of local saints namely Pir Khaki Shah and Pir Mani Shah. Local
people celebrate their annual festivals and they are deeply respected in the village.
Majority of houses is concentrated at one place with different sizes of narrow and Wide
Street and pathways. A few houses are built in the surrounding agricultural land as shown
in the land use map. Kort Murad has a bit different Land use as compare to normal
village. Some of its houses adjacent to passing by local road have been commercialized
in the form of small shops like grocery, tailor and teashops. Unlike to other feudals in the
region, past local feudal of Kort Murad Mehr Ghaznfar a respected figure in the village
and the region had done lot of personnel efforts for the development of distinctive land
uses less available in any normal village. It includes village dispensary, agriculture and
vatnary center, union council office, and small five Marla scheme and girls middle
school. Graveyard is also available near the village. Kohi Chaha Walli- a famous mystic
place in the region is located within Kort Murad where Baba Lakha a local saints is
buried. Other distinctive land uses are surrounding agricultural land, Mosque,
Amambargah and Dairra (public sitting place of local feudal).
Infrastructure like availability of safe drinking water, sewerage or bricked streets are not
available in both villages causing water borne diseases, stagnant waste water pools inside
rural settlement and dirt tracks. In contrast to Kort Murad, Moaza Kamra has no other
community facility except primary schools. Both villages have rich ecology and natural
environment with variety of flora and fauna lying in close proximity to river Jhelum and
Chenab.
C)
Livelihood Patterns14
Total population in Moaza Kamra and Kort Murad are 485 and 532 respectively showing
a normal size rural settlement. Male population in both villages is higher as compare to
female. Male population in Kamra and Kort Murad are 53.61% and 52.63% in
comparison to 46.39% and 47.37% female population respectively. Average household
size in Moaza Kamra and Kort Murad is 7 and 9 respectively showing large population
size in village houses. Household heads or numbers of families in a single house of
Kamra and Kort Murad have different results as normally reflected in the past rural
history of the country. Joint family system in these villages is being converting towards
nuclear family system as 62% families in Moaza Kamra and 86% families in Kort Murad
are nuclear where as 38% and 14% Houses in Kamra and Kort Murad have joint family
system. Architecture of most of the houses in both case study areas consists of one to
three rooms in single row including separately located room for domestic animals and
also internal and external courtyards. Temporary shed outside the house is normally made
for animals. In Moaza Kamra most of the houses did not build the exterior walls in
comparison to Kort Murad where each house has exterior wall. Reason may be the living
of single Baloach tribe as compare to highly visible mixed cast system and more stratified
society in Kort Murad.
10
Majority of houses in both case study areas is mud katcha houses and their roofs have
wooden or steel structure. There are 96% katcha mud houses in Kamra and 85% in Kort
Murad. Landlord’s houses are Pacca structures as Kort Murad has 5 Pacca houses and
Moaza Kamra has two houses. There are one semi Pacca house in Kamra and 4 houses in
Kort Murad. Religious and public buildings in both villages have small Pacca structures.
In Moaza Kamra 35% houses have single room for living and 45% have two living rooms
varying in size. Only six houses mostly prosperous have more then three rooms for total
family living in the house. While in Kort Murad 45% houses have 2 rooms and 26%
houses have three room houses. Rich and middle class families in Kort Murad have
comparatively large houses having more then three houses also representing 26% of the
total houses. In Moaza Kamra 80% families have ownership of their houses and 20%
families are residing in landlord’s houses. There are 47% families in Kort Murad have
conditional ownership right as they can live as long as desire but not allowed to sale it.
This conditional ownership right was provided in Kort Murad 3 years ago by the earlier
mentioned kind hearted feudal. Still all families in Kort Murad have not been given
ownership rights as 48% families are living in Landlords houses.
23.5% in Kamra and 22.7 % people in Kort Murad are illiterate where as 32.4% people in
Kamra and 29.10% population in Kort Murad has got only religious education to learn
praying or reading Holy book Quran. 24% and 29% people in Kamra and Kort Murad
have passed primary levels respectively. Dropout ratio in both villages is quite
significant, as people cannot afford higher education for their children. Only 6% in
Kamra and 12.4% in Kort Murad have passed secondary level education. Comparatively
secondary level education ratio in Kort Murad is higher due to easy access and close
proximity of boy’s secondary school near Kort Murad. Most dominant profession in
Moaza Kamra is farming as 55% families have small agriculture land holding and other
31% are working as laborer on their land or other adhoc work at very low wages. They
are either land less or have very negligible small agriculture land. Two people have
grocery shops in nearby town while 6 persons are doing both private/public job and
farming simultaneously. In Kort Murad only three families have large landholding
carrying feudal culture, as all of them are close relatives. 58% houses are working as
peasant or laborer on landlord’s fields. 28% families have shops within the village or
doing job in nearby located small towns. 70% of total youth is unemployed and just doing
casual work during sowing and harvesting season and a major social problem of the
village.
People in Moaza Kamra have mostly small land holdings as 52% houses have less then 4
acres agriculture land and 18% houses have land in between 4 to 15 acres. Rest of the
30% houses has no agricultural land. Some families land are currently under the water
course of river Jhelum and they are waiting until river change its course and left their
land which they may rehabilitate. It is a common practice in the region as villages shift
their site from one place to other. Kort Murad has different land ownership figures, as
87% of the total houses are land less. Three feudal families each have more then 100 acre
land in the village where as 4 houses have less then one-acre land and another single
family have 14-acre agriculture land. Livestock is second major economic livelihood
activity in the both villages. There is a recent emerging trend in both case study areas to
11
sell milk for preparation of cream and other dairy items. In Moaza Kamra five houses are
doing such kind of business as they have small land holding. Distribution of livestock
among households in Kamra is normal. Each house has cow or buffalo or other livestock
where as in Kort Murad landlords own most of the livestock and majority of low-income
households have no domestic animal, as they cannot afford it.
It is generally observed that rural community in Pakistan has very low-income rate as
compare to urban areas. Findings from case study areas also show such kind of situation
as villagers in Kort Murad and Moazza Kamra are more dependent on annual cash crops
and live stock. There are 10 households in Kamra who even have less then Rs.1000
income per month and living like destitute. Moazza Kamra has 67% households and Kort
Murad has 72% households having income range in between Rs.1000-3000. There are
only three households in Kamra who have monthly income above Rs.5000. In Kort
Murad five households mostly landlords have income level above Rs. 5000 falling in
between the range of Rs.15000 to 80000 per month. 20% households in Kort Murad and
14% households in Moazza Kamra have income range in between Rs.3000-5000. Annual
savings in both communities are low and mostly quite marginal amounts. Only feudal
families in Kort Murad have significant saving amounts earned by selling large quantities
of cash crops. In Moazza Kamra 74% answered No in terms of saving and 26 %
answered yes where as in Kort Murad 88% households have no Savings and 12%
families have savings out of their earnings. Wealth ranking findings shows that 66% in
Moazza Kamra and 60% households in Kort Murad belong to poor and very poor
categories. Middle class in both communities also carrying significant portion as 34% in
Moazza Kamra and 31% households in Kort Murad come under this category. Large
percentages of poor and destitute class in both villages indicate high rate of economic
vulnerability and gender concerns related to marginalized communities.
d)
Floods
Moazza Kamra is more vulnerable to floods as it is regularly facing flood events and its
associated problems. Because of its close proximity to river Jhelum bank and reservoir
area of Head Trimmu water passes through it every year and remained as stagnant water
pools at nearby protective embankment built for other smaller towns and villages. It
results poor accessibility for them through out the year causing health and mobility
problems. Community infrastructure and facilities are almost non-existent as civic
organizations have fewer interventions. In case of 3Lac Cs water discharge from Head
Trimmu, Kort Murad comes under flood and sometimes in past, floods have badly
damaged the village and livelihood of local villagers. Effects of 92 floods are still
observable in Kort Murad where 5 to 6 ft high floodwaters came for several days. Both
villages have common history of shifting village site due to floods or change in the river
watercourse. There was no death casualty in the past floods but other damages in the
form of house destruction, loss of agriculture land, crops, and personal possessions like
household items and livestock happened in both villages.
In Moazza Kamra 49% households have damages of both houses and agricultural
land/crop in comparison to 3 households in Kort Murad because more then 95%
12
agricultural land is owned by feudal in this village. 78% households who owned no land
or very less land faced house destruction in Kort Murad where as in Kamra 17% of such
households become homeless due to house disaster. Houses in Kamra received less
damage due to raised foundation of houses by filling clay and locally generated solid
waste. Almost 6% households in both communities lost some of their livestock as they
were drowned or died due to diseases. Two households in Kamra and 3 in Kort Murad
lost their household luggage or other belonging. There were only 1 house in Kamra and 2
houses in Kort Murad who received no damages.15 During focused group discussions
both communities agreed that floods have less advantages and more losses. It effects
routine life activities and creates different hurdles. Food become scare and difficulties in
getting animal fodder creates problems. Majority of households in both villages are lowincome poor families and their conditions become more worse as floods come to take
their crops, destroy agricultural land and effect routine life activities. Low socioeconomic status of women community and their restricted mobility make their life more
vulnerable in floods.
3.3
Gender Livelihood
Overall livelihood pattern analysis of both case study areas indicate high poverty level,
poor living conditions and disparities in terms of resource distribution and opportunities.
Low socio-economic status of women and their development constraints are quite similar
in both villages. Their livelihood is heavily dependent on male members of the
community, as they have no access and control over resources and decision-making.
They have just a supporting role in income generation activities carrying very low
productive economic activities. Similar to situation in other rural areas of the country,
women in both case study areas are facing multiple problems like low nutrition level,
health problems, lack of education, restricted mobility and sharing high burden of poverty
within family. Prevailing social and cultural value system in the region negate their equal
development opportunity and force them in early age marriages to mainly carry out
household and family upbringing work and also supporting in agricultural and livestock
related activities. Gender livelihood analysis in terms of access to services, women
mobility and activities, condition of children and old age people are detailed out below.
Case studies of representative women in both villages are also provided.
Access to services:
a)
Health and nutrition
Health problems and low nutrition level among women in case study areas harshly exist,
as generally community does not prefer to overlook women health issues and food
requirements. Female children are relatively disadvantaged over male children to get
appropriate nutrition and better health facilities. Their physical vulnerability increases
due to early marriages at the age of 15-18 years and less access to health. Women health
problems in Moazza Kamra are considerably higher in comparison to Kort Murad where
health facilities in the form of lady health worker and dispensary are available. However,
13
lack of free or low cost health services create problems for poor families in Kort Murad
and generally in routine they are less benefited from the available services.
Female focus group discussion revealed one important finding about extra ordinary high
rate of child mortality in Moaza Kamra where 20 out of 100 children under the age of 5
become dead mainly due to non-viability of health facilities in the village and its
surrounding, absence of lady health worker services and poor accessibility to nearby
clinic and hospital. Participants told about various past events particularly happened
during flood disaster when many women and newly born child lost their life because of
difficulty to get them out from the surrounded floodwaters. Lack of financial resources in
majority of poor families of both villages is another reason to ignore early health
problems of women unless it becomes too serious and incurable. They prefer to practice
low cost indigenous health solutions which normally does not respond to variety of
existing health diseases in case study areas.
b)
Literacy and Education
There are significant literacy ratio differences in between male and female population of
both villages. In Moazza Kamra only 25% school going female children are enrolled in
village’s primary girl school where even classes are not regular because of nonavailability or longer absence of female teacher. 80% of total female population in Kamra
are illiterate or have just received religious education. Comparatively in Kort Murad
female education is better where 60% school going female children are enrolled in
village’s middle girls school. 55% of total female population in Kort Murad has passed
primary level. Female drop out ratio after primary in Kamra and after middle in Kort
Murad are more then 95% as local culture does not permit female to daily move outside
the village for education purpose.
Due to recent national level female literacy media campaigns, villagers in both case study
areas have got realization on the importance of female education and they are willing to
educate young female children provided availability of female education facility in
nearby places. During interviews and discussions with female, many of them demanded
educational or skill enhancement facilities for local women community who are deprived
from such kind of basic development opportunities.
c)
Economic and political participation
As mentioned earlier economic participation of women are mainly different kinds of
supporting activities which may have less direct monetary benefits but important
contributions to earn and sustain family livelihood. Local women are mainly engaged in
activities like supporting their respective male family members in agriculture fields
during harvesting and sowing seasons, regularly cutting fodder for domestic animals and
household work. A small number of women in both villages belonging to lower income
group are also engaged in embroidery work or preparing hand made mats with locally
produced cheap materials. Generally women involved in such labor work are very low
paid as their monthly income varies in between Rs. 200-1200. Middle man exploit them
14
by paying very low wages and sell such items at much higher price in the city. In Kort
Murad some young female children are working in handmade carpet industry and they
also complained about small amount of income earned by them varying in between Rs.20
to 40/day while working whole day in the industry located near the village. Economic
exploitation of these rural working women are one of the important aspect showing
gender concerns and inequality in terms of less payment to women in comparison to
working men in the same village.
Concept of rural women participation in any type of local political process to work for
basic women rights or its advancement is almost non- existent in both case study areas.
Women are completely dependent on men in these matters and even they have no
perceptions about their basic human rights and generally kept sidelined and ignorant
about the participation of women in political process. Local culture also does not allow
women to come out of housewives status and involve themselves in any political activity.
3.4
Women mobility and activities
Women mobility is culturally restricted and generally they move less outside the village
for shopping and other activities. Mostly male household does shopping in nearby town
or city. Women mobility maps of Kamra and Kort Murad drawn by local women depicts
a very few number of annual trips outside the village which are mainly for visiting
relatives, attending local festivals at shrines or shopping for any marriage preparation to
purchase cloths, jewelry or other items. Due to easy accessibility women in Kort Murad
have more mobility outside the village in comparison to Moazza Kamra as shown in
attached women mobility maps of both villages.
Representative mobility map of women in Kamra shows their maximum mobility is
related to agriculture field and livestock work. Other frequent visiting places are shrines
of two local saints located in the village where they pray for prosperity of family and
distribute food (Niaz) freely among people as their demand fulfilled. There are very low
frequency of trips out side the village like once or twice to nearby town for shopping or
attending local festivals mostly held at the shrines of famous local saints like shrine of
Hazrat Sultan Bahu located within Jhang district. In Kort Murad women have similar
mobility patterns but in addition to more frequency of trips outside the village. Otherwise
they have similar activities related to agricultural field, livestock and shrines.
Daily activity profile of women in both villages are quite identical showing female is
more busy with children and household work and also sharing responsibility with male in
terms of working in agriculture field and managing livestock. Village women also quite
routinely follow religious activities. Representative women daily activity profile is also
attached showing different types of activities being performed by her within a day.
15
Daily activities of representative female household (Jandan mai, 35 years old) Kort Murad
Time
4a.m- 5a.m
5a.m-7a.m
7a.m-10a.m
10a.m-12p.m
12p.m-3p.m
3p.m-6p.m
6p.m-7p.m
7p.m-9p.m
9p.m-4a.m
Activities
Morning Prayers and recitation from Holy book Quran
Preparing children for school & Breakfast, household
works
Cutting animal fodder taking them to grassy/wood lands
Preparing lunch, Household work
Lunch, rest and household work
Cutting animal fodder in fields
Preparing and serving dinner,
Child care, household work
Sleeping
3.5
Children and old age people
Children in both villages are facing similar livelihood patterns, as they have to work
additionally to support family other then getting education. It includes taking out
domestic animals for grazing, cutting fodder and helping family members in agricultural
fields. Such activities have considerable effects on their study and most of the students
after primary level left education and start full time working with family. They learn
hardships of life in early age while facing poor living standards, poverty and constant
occurrences of floods and its relate damages. Lack of recreational facilities and denial of
basic development opportunities in these neglected rural areas had spoiled innocence of
many village children forcing them in early work. Conditions of boy’s school in both
villages are unsatisfactory presently without classrooms, boundary walls and adequate
infrastructure necessary for education. Children sit in open ground or under the trees
confronting with harsh weather realities including lack of appropriate education
materials. Families in rural areas could not afford to spend heavily on child education and
prefer to indulge them in work to generate additional resources for family livelihood.
Old age people are also suffering with poverty and other social crisis. In both villages it
was observed that older people even beyond 70 years are regularly working in fields to
earn income for sustaining their livelihood. Many older people are confronted with
different health diseases but they could not afford expenses of treatment and poorly
surviving their last life cycle. Pathetic living conditions of children and old age people
are other dimensions of gender concerns prevailing in both villages.
16
3.6
Case Studies
Fatima’s earning is single source of livelihood for her old age parents. Her two sisters
have got married already and living in other villages. She is 17 years old young girl had
passed primary level from village’s school. She belongs to a poor shoemaker family in
Kort Murad. She learned art of embroidery from her childhood period in addition to do
regular household work. She is averagely earning Rs.1200/month by doing embroidery
work on cloth. Middleman pays her less money in comparison to hard amount of work
done by her. She spent all income on household expenditures and treatment of her old age
sick father. Her house has been damaged many times in various past flood events. During
floods she took care of small children and house luggage. Her family consistently
suffered in terms of house destruction, displacement and loss of personnel possessions
due to floods. Whenever they were able to recover floods again came and raised their
vulnerabilities. Fatima is imparting embroidery skills to other girls of poor families in
Kort Murad so that they can also earn in future. She is considered as role model among
village girls.
Pannan Mai is 70 years old widow living in Kort Murad from last fifty years. Her
husband was lung patient who died six years ago. She had two children and her single
son is solely responsible to earn family livelihood and casually work as wagon conductor
in nearby town. In her early life Pannan Mai worked as house servant in Jhang city but
now she is too old to bear such hard work again. Marriage of daughter is big problem for
poor Pannan Mai. She tried hard to get marry her young daughter but nobody accepted
hand of her daughter. She has nothing to give her daughter in dowry as relatives captured
her husband’s 2 kanal agricultural land located within the village. She appealed to local
feudal about supporting her to get back land or help in the marriage of her daughter but
nothing happened in both cases. She said nobody feel the misery of destitute people like
us. Furthermore 1992 floods destroyed exterior walls of her house, which are not built yet
due to lack of resources. She put old cloths in place of walls to provide purdah to her
young daughter. She told that women receive equal damages from floods but nobody care
and even discuss them during rehabilitation work despite their equal work and hardships
in flood events. Pannan Mai regularly visits shrines to pray for her daughter’s early
marriage.
Rajan Bibi is 45 years old widow living in poor conditions in Moaza Kamra. She lost her
husband when her children were too young. She had two sons who got middle level
education due to her personnel efforts. She is working as laborer to stitch handmade mats
prepared from date leaves and earning 15Rs/day. She spent all earning on her 18 years
old elder son who is patient of tuberclouces but still his health is deteriorating. Her
younger son who is 15 years old is learning tailoring work. Rajjan Bibi received various
flood damages in her past life. She told about losing livestock and food grains and
complete destruction of her house in 1992 floods. Her family faced hunger and diseases
during floods. It become difficult for her to take children away at relative’s houses who
are living in distant places. She belongs to those families in village who have either no
housing ownership right or possessing any agricultural land. She is willing to leave the
village whenever in future she will get economic opportunity outside the village.
17
Kalsoom is 28 years old married women belongs to a destitute family in Moazza Kamra.
She has a three years old daughter. Her spouse work as laborer in a far flung town. In
order to meet family expenditure she is equally working as laborer in agriculture fields
and also stitching handmade mats in her house. Despite hard efforts by herself and her
husband, they meet housing expenditures with a lot of difficulties. The absolute reason is
receiving very low wages in comparison to amount of labor invested by them. Kalsoom’s
family moved to this village six years ago when their house and agricultural land in
ancestor’s village devastated by the floods and diverting river course occupied their
village land. She even could not be able to save her single buffalo from the havoc of
floods. She sold her jewelry and took loans to overcome flood damages and post flood
health diseases. Due to constant flood events in past years, her economic conditions did
not improve and poverty level has been increased. Her husband has not enough earning to
bring family at his working place. Hard labor and under nourishment are quite visible on
the face of Kalsoom. She hopes that one day her husband will find good job in the city
and will take her there away from the holocaust of floods. She even does not know when
her cherished dream will come true. Her story is identical with other women’s in the
village whose husbands have moved towards cities in search of better economic
opportunities.
5.
Gender Vulnerabilities
5.1 Gender and basic livelihood needs
Food
Women and other marginalized groups in both case study areas are facing numerous
hardships to earn basic livelihood needs for their survival. In case of regular flood events
in the region particularly high intensity floods, food items become scare mainly due to
destruction of agricultural land. Crops could not be sown for one or two year and
villagers survive on old food stock if it remained undamaged from floods. Women and
female children receive less nutrition as cultural priority to first serve food to men and
male children left small quantity of food for them. It results in their poor physical growth
becoming more vulnerable to health risks and diseases. In case of food scarcity, villager’s
particularly poor families face hunger and difficult livelihood survival for longer period
of time. It depends upon landlord to provide them food or other resources but during
discussions many poor families told that they are ignored as it is the priority and
intentions of landlord to select needed families for support. In crisis situation, People in
Moazza Kamra found supporting more to share food with each other in comparison to
feudal dominant destitute villagers in Kort Murad.
18
Water
Water is available in abundance because of close proximity of case study areas to rivers.
However, floodwaters create problems for local population like restricting mobility
within and outside the village and spread of diseases. Quality of drinking water is not
satisfactory especially in Moazza Kamra carrying dust and sand particles inside the
water. Intake of unsafe drinking water also bring different water borne diseases which are
reported more during and post flood circumstances. Lack of clean drinking water
facilities is affecting the health of population in both villages. Growing children and
pregnant women are more vulnerable to health diseases.
Shelter
In case of house damages due to flood, women and children are more sufferer. Poor
families could not afford to build house for longer period of time. They have to live under
trees, or tents exposing women’s purdah to males outside the family causing social crises
and suffering particularly to women. SSI survey reveals that 30% in Kamra and 60% in
Kort Murad were such households who live like that after high floods. Women and young
girls face problems to save themselves from the sexual harassments, which is also
reported in both villages. During discussions women told that stagnant floodwater in
village create toilet problems especially for young girls and children who have to sit
inside the water. Such problems faced by women are socio-economic and cultural in
origin rather then the direct result of flood disaster. In post rehabilitation process, burden
of poverty further increased among poor families because of taking loans from landlords
and relatives for construction of houses. Women take active part in the construction of
houses doing labor work and collection of construction materials like wood, clay etc.
5.2
Roles and Responsibilities
Male members of family take livestock at protective embankments or distant places away
from the flooded areas and regularly arrange their fodder. Old age and female members
take care of children, house luggage or doing other household level activities. SSI survey
shows almost such kind of division of responsibility among family members in both
villages. When effected people come back to their destroyed houses, male members
usually start rehabilitation work on agricultural land and caring of livestock. Female
members share them in the handling of animals and actively work in the rebuilding of
houses as preparing mud and doing construction work. Children also work to facilitate
their parents in the rehabilitation process. Division of responsibility shows that women,
children and old age people play equal role in pre and post flood management measures.
Community in Moazza Kamra looks more cohesive in terms of collectively sharing roles
and responsibilities during post flood rehabilitation work. Where as in Kort Murad people
have conflicts and mostly rely on family or relatives efforts.
19
5.3
Coping and mitigation mechanism
Coping and mitigation mechanisms are persistent in both case study areas although in
informal and weaker forms. There is no formal and socially organized process available
in these areas to reduce the effects of flood disaster. Indigenous and traditional methods
are also being applied by the local community, which they have learned from their
ancestors. Following are the existing coping and mitigation mechanism practiced in case
study areas.






Utilization of local flood warning symbols as observing change in the weather, wind
direction and movements of wild animals migrating from one place to other place
before the arrival of floods.
Storage of essential food items and animal fodder to pass through flooding days.
Shifting of family, household items and animals from the dangerous areas and
building protective Bund around village to minimize flood damages.
To remain in touch with media like radio/TV or visiting Head Trimmu office to get
latest news about intensity of floods in upper catchments areas of rivers.
Raising the platform/foundation of houses by putting clay and domestic solid waste to
minimize house destruction. It is more practiced in Kamra and people in Kort Murad
have no availability of clay or other resource to construct this kind of houses. It is
very useful and effective in low/medium intensity floods
Informal help to each other in the form of providing materials and contributing labor
work in house construction and land rehabilitation, food provision, interest free loans
and moral encouragement to the flood victims
Providing assistance to the village families in case of emergencies like taking out
patients to city hospital or care of other household family members and livestock
during floods
These measures help to a certain extent to reduce flood damages. During flood time each
family has priority to first save themselves and their belongings. There are certain
preferences to help other victims in the village like blood relation, cast, social status or
types of relationships. Indigenous mitigation practices in both villages depicts that there
are no precautionary measures to address gender issues related to flood disaster.
Problems faced by women during and post flood situation remained unnoticed and
usually ignored by community.
5.4
Role of public/private organizations
Research findings from both case study areas indicate flaws in existing mitigation
practices at local level and there is no incorporation of gender concerns in rehabilitation
practices of public and private organizations in Jhang district. Role of public and private
organizations in flood relief measures is temporary and adhoc based. Community from
both case studies areas told that only during peak flood day’s public/private organizations
actively distributes food, cloths and medicines. Army teams come for rescue to provide
boat facilities and other rehabilitation measures. These items are not evenly distributed
among flood-affected areas. Villages in immediate reach and people at protective
20
embankment receive most part of such temporary aids. Govt. departments, local NGO’s,
traders and individuals provide such things on charity basis. More emphasizes remain to
project these activities into media. There are no physical, social or economic measures
for flood-affected people and particularly for women to facilitate them in rehabilitation
process. Medium and long-term measures and flood mitigation practices are almost nonexistent.
SSI survey results and focused group discussions indicate that villagers in Kamra have
difficulties in getting information on current situation of flood intensity and they have to
just rely on radio news and local methods of flood perceptions. They have just received
Rs.5000 grant from Nawaz Sharif during 92 floods while did not have any other help in
all past flood disaster. There were no charity items or health facilities for them to fight
with multiple health problems after floods. All respondents in Kamra showed
dissatisfaction over performance of private/public institutions in flood relief measures. In
contrast 60% interviewers in Kort Murad informed about receiving food items, Rs.5000
from Nawaz Sharif and health facilities to fight with flood related diseases. Luckily Kort
Murad has significant public facilities inside the village. Participants in focused group
discussion told about the distribution of UNICEF medicines among village people in Kort
Murad. Free medicine on temporary basis is not enough for local families to struggle for
a longer time with post flood diseases.
Feudal dominant flood stricken rural areas in Jhang district even does not have rural
development activities in contrast to other rural areas where donor/govt. sponsored
national rural support program (NRSP) and Punjab Rural Support Program (PRSP) are
working to socially organize local communities and capacitate them for rural
development. Venn Diagram drawn by group of people in both villages also shows total
absence of local or national level NGO working in these villages. In Moazza Kamra only
educational institutions are providing few facilities. Another facility is electricity from
WAPDA which village people has taken after a long struggle. Local union council
functions, availability of lady health visitors or dispensary is totally absent. Kort Murad
have many public facilities thanks to the individual efforts of local feudal. But their level
of service and access to all households on equal terms are not satisfactory. There is no
social development work in both case study areas similar to other rural areas in Jhang
district.
5.5
Gender Issues and Vulnerabilities
Case study areas livelihood patterns and gender livelihood analysis in relation to flood
disaster indicate the existence of manifold vulnerabilities in women and local
marginalized communities. Gender vulnerabilities analysis in earlier sections have
detailed out socio-economic and cultural gender discriminations in the life of flood
stricken rural women and overall gender bias from community level to individual
household level reflected in current behaviors and attitudes towards women. While
summing up discussions on gender issues in relation to flood disaster following gender
vulnerabilities have been found in both villages, which need to be addressed in future
flood mitigation strategies at both local and regional level.
21
I. Lack of equal development opportunity and poor access to resources and basic
services like education, health, nutrition and income generation related activities.
II. Deficiency in gender related basic livelihood needs in flood disaster situation,
which include food, safe drinking water, shelter, toilet and health facilities.
III. Insensitive and less aware rural community about gender concerns and issues
during and post flood disaster situations who are more influenced by existing
gender discriminatory local values and norms.
IV. Absence of precautionary measures in community level mitigation and coping
mechanism to incorporate floods related gender problems.
V. Increased anxiety and tensions due to restricted women mobility in pre and post
flood situations.
VI. Total dependence of women on their respective male family members and
marginal place in decision-making structures both at household and communal
level.
VII. Exposure to men outside the family and community during flood disaster generate
issues of Purdah and sexual harassments of young and married women.
VIII. Increased poverty level, economic losses, displacement and sharing high burden
of poverty after floods are other gender interconnected vulnerabilities.
IX. In past there is no inclusion of gender issues in post rehabilitation practices by
public and private flood relief organization in case study areas and Jhang region.
Another factor is lack of medium and long term structural and non-structural
measures with only emphases on temporary and short- term activities.
X. Continuation of gender insensitive national and local level flood mitigation
strategies creating difficulties for women and marginalized groups to receive due
share from post flood rehabilitation activities.
5.6
Internal potentials
Existing internal potential to enhance gender livelihood options in case study areas are
endorsing positive changes in gender roles and eliminating gender discriminatory sociocultural norms to achieve equitable community development. With the passage of time
villagers have understood the need of female literacy and appropriate health measures for
them. Upgradtion of girls schools up to higher secondary level in both villages are
demanded by both case study areas communities and majority of families are willing to
educate young girls. Increased female education will become a vital factor in the
22
development rural women. However, improvements in low socio-economic status of
women and marginalized communities are other necessary required steps to reduce
gender vulnerabilities in flood disaster. Following gender related internal potentials in
case study areas may be worked out in future development scenarios.


5.7
Agriculture is major economic livelihood activities in both villages required
further strengthening in the form of integrating modern agricultural research and
technologies to produce flood resistant crops and bring changes in sowing and
harvesting seasonal patterns to receive crops before flood seasons.
Loss of livestock during floods has fewer chances as it can be taken away from
the dangerous area. Women livelihood activities are strongly associated with
livestock management, which may be enhanced by increasing current stock of
livelihood and converting wasteland around river into wood and grassy land. It
will not only provide additional source for animal fodder but also helpful to
reduce flood intensity and improving natural environment and site ecology.

Women income generation activities should be facilitated while reducing
middleman exploitation that takes major income portion of workingwomen.
Encouraging Women education and imparting different skills through trainings
like embroidery, hand made mats; carpet weaving, dairy production etc are
important potentials to enhance rural women income.

Reproductive health measures, particularly in Kamra, required immediate
intentions to reduce high mortality rate and general improvements in poor health
status of undernourished women and children. Local educated women may be
trained to combat persistent women health issues, which may also contribute in
the sustainability of long-term health services within village.

Another internal potential factor is to strengthen existing indigenous flood
mitigation mechanism in target communities by sensitizing them on prevailing
floods related gender issues and incorporating them in pre-flood community
preparation activities to reduce gender vulnerabilities in flood disaster.
External Potential
Locally applicable gender sensitive flood mitigation strategies with equal roles for
communities and concerned public and private organizations are new avenues not earlier
practiced in Jhang region. Application of flood sensitive land use regulations, facilitation
to construct houses with flood resistant materials and raised platforms, promoting joint
housing ownership rights for women, community dialogues and trainings on gender
issues, formation of community organizations on gender equality basis and enhancement
of economic activities by providing additional resources are important external potentials
which may enhance gender livelihood options in rural areas of Jhang.
In post flood rehabilitation process relief agencies should also employ female workers
from within and outside the community to equally provide emergency services, food and
23
other items to neglected women community. Oxfam relief model may also be calibrated
in future mitigation strategies in Jhang. Gender issues in flood disaster should be
advocated through media campaigns and arrangements of their separate coverage in
future flood situations. Inclusion of disaster related gender issues in national and local
level gender development projects and programmes are some important missing links
need early attentions of policy makers.
6
Conclusions and recommendations
6.1
Recommendations
1. Local level inter and intra community dialogues on gender vulnerabilities in
floods may be arranged in case study areas and other rural areas in Jhang district
to highlight and advocate gender issues and to also find possible ways and means
within local resources to minimize floods related gender concerns. Local women
and other marginalized communities should be actively involved in identification
of such ways and means and prioritizing gender needs they faced during and post
floods situations.
2. Guidelines on community level gender sensitive basic flood protection measures
within regional perspective may be prepared and published in local language in
the form of brochures/booklets/handbills and might be disseminated through out
flood prone areas to raise awareness level. Different forms of other media like
Newspaper, T.V; Radio etc. may also be utilized to disperse such information.
3. Skill enhancement trainings of local communities particularly women and other
marginalized groups living in flooded rural areas may be initiated to enhance
livelihood options and strengthen local capacities for flood disaster management
to reduce livelihood and gender vulnerabilities. Trainings may include a variety of
interrelated fields like application of flood sensitive modern agriculture
technologies, Livestock management and enhancement, reproductive health and
income generation through learning embroidery, hand mats production, dairy etc.
In this regard skilled human resource in villages may be encouraged to impart
such knowledge to fellow villagers.
4. Moazza Kamra is suggested for future project activities to develop it as model
village for other flood hazardous rural settlements. Social organization of
communities in Moazza Kamra may be done through formation and capacity
building of village community organization on gender equality basis and linkage
development with related NGO’s and public departments for development work
by utilizing existing internal and external potentials on self help basis and
implementation of mutually evolved gender sensitive flood mitigation
participatory strategies based on local resources.
5. Soft term house building loans for construction materials may be provided to poor
and destitute families in flood disaster areas to reduce their physical
vulnerabilities. Use of flood resistant materials may be propagated in such areas
24
to receive less house damages. Joint housing ownership rights for women may
also be advocated.
6. Poverty eradication programs are also needed for women and other marginalized
rural communities to over come their economic vulnerabilities. Agro-based
service industry may be strengthened in rural parts to become alternate economic
livelihood activity in already deprived Jhang region. National and provincial rural
support programmes may be encouraged to initiate and participate in rural
development of Jhang.
7. Organizing seminar/workshop to sensitize gender development public and private
institutions and policy-makers on gender issues in disaster both at national and
local level to advocate integration of gender aspects in local disaster mitigation
practices. Post flood relief efforts may also overlook disaster related gender
concerns to minimize their earlier ignored vulnerabilities. Important gender
projects like National Plan of Action and Gender Equality Umbrella Project may
also undertake additional activities to work on the reduction of gender inequality
in disaster.
8. Structural gaps in existing national and local level flood mitigation strategy may
be highlighted to concerned policy and decision-makers. Construction of
ecological friendly small dams in upper catchments valleys of rivers to store
excessive water, land use regulation in flooded areas, development of protective
embankments along river banks and vulnerable settlements and developing
integrated water management system to effectively control excessive water during
rainy season are major structural problems associated with floods. They are
equally significant and necessarily required as non-structural approaches in flood
mitigation strategy. Structural issues require long-term consistent policies and
more economic cost but very helpful to minimize occurrences of flood disasters.
9. Seminars and workshops in future may be arranged among SAARC regional
countries to share mutual experiences on gender issues in flood disaster, gender
sensitive disaster mitigation strategies and community level disaster coping
mechanisms. Furthermore existing regional forum on disaster may find out joint
avenues to share technical information about future flood forecast, climatic
changes in the region and conservation and management of natural resources
lying adjacent to each other’s country.
6.2
Potential Local and national Organizations
There are many organizations working for flood disaster relief activities in the country.
Public departments like national level Floods relief commission, provincial flood
departments, irrigation, head work offices and local social and civic development
institutions may be identified as govt. representative and NGO’s working in Punjab may
be taken as private support organizations. Public/private organizations should initiate
interconnected activities in Jhang district. These activities may be evaluating past flood
25
relief work, learning from the experiences of NGO who worked in past about gender
issues and disaster, evolving gender sensitive flood mitigation participatory strategies and
capacitating local communities for implementation at grass root level. Pattan and Doaba
are two local organizations already working in South and central Punjab flood prone
areas. They may be encouraged to extend their activities in rural communities of Jhang
district.
6.3
Conclusion
Gender issues in livelihood and flood disaster are severely visible in Pakistan. They have
become more complicated in view of macro level national gender issues Analysis of case
study areas have shown prevailing gender inequality and discrimination against rural
women and marginalized communities which had originated a large number of
vulnerabilities. Multiple Physical, social and economic vulnerabilities had further add
misery in the life of neglected rural women and poverty level rises after each flood.
Existing flood mitigation strategies in Pakistan need over haul to be replaced by the
concepts of community participation in all stages of planning process of flood mitigation
plans including gender sensitive newly defined roles and responsibilities of public/
private organizations and target communities within the parameter of existing Islamic
socio-cultural values and norms to effectively manage flood events, reduce gender issues
and concerns in pre-post flood situation and enhance livelihood security.
End Notes
1
This terminology is used by Bob Bolin to criticize the theoretical flaws in previous disaster research. He
urged the need to move away from collapsing gender into statistical categories and begin to conduct
qualitative, ethnographic studies to explore what gender means and how it structures experiences. See:
workshop proceedings titled Gender and disaster response: why it is important? Hazard research and
application workshop, Colorado; 1996
2
Duryog Nivaran is common platforms for a number of organizations and individuals working in South
Asia who are committed to promoting the alternative perspective on disaster and vulnerabilities have come
together to form this regional network. This research paper is initiative of Duryog Nivaran who are
conducting research case studies from South Asian countries about livelihood option for disaster risk
reduction in South Asia.
3
Livelihood options in flood disaster is interrelated major research component which is covering overall
community livelihood analysis while this research paper is specifically covering gender issues in livelihood
and disaster. Both studies have derived data from the same case study areas in Jhang, Punjab therefore
analysis available in major component have been incorporated in the paper to provide complete case study
areas picture to understand in-depth gender issues. Another case study in Pakistan on livelihood options in
drought has been conducted in rural Sindh areas. Journalist Resource Center, Islamabad managed and
conducted both case studies for Duryog Nivaran.
4
International commitments include the United Nations Universal Declaration of human rights (UDHR);
the forward looking strategies for the advancement of women (FLSAW: Nairobi, 1985); the programme of
action agreed at the international conference on population and development (ICPD: Cairo, 1994);
Education for All (Jomtien: 1990, and Delhi: 1993); UNCED (Rio: 1992); World summit on social
development (WSSD: Copenhagen, 1995); Platform for Action signed at the Fourth World Conference on
Women (FWCW: Beijing, 1995), Convention on the elimination of Discrimination Against Women
(CEDAW) and Convention on the rights of the child (CRC). For further information see: UNDP Gender
programme on Pakistan. Signing of such large number of international agreements shows Pakistan
26
Government’s commitments but macro level national gender issues and implementation flaws have
restricted to bring out some fruitful results.
5
See Further UNDP mission statement on National Plan of Action (NPA); UNDP Gender Programme on
Pakistan
6
See: Women and Poverty; NPA,
7
See Further: Education and Training of women; NPA, National Plan of Action is prepared by the ministry
of Women’s Development in response to FWCW: 1995 and announced by Prime Minister on 14August
1998.
8
See project document Livelihood Options for disaster risk reduction in South Asia: pp: 17 CHAD/DIFID
1999
9
See Gender and Disaster; pp. 28: Defeating Disasters: Ideas for Action by Madhavi Malalgoda
Ariyabandu: Duryog Nivaran publication, 1999
10
See publication on collection of paper collected through workshop in Multan which address gender
issues in disaster from an alternate perspective of disaster and development; South Asian Women: Facing
Disaster, Securing Life; Edited by Priyanthi Fernando and Vijitha Fernando; Duryog Nivaran publication,
1997
11
See further pp. 57-60 publication on gender issues in disaster, 1997. Pattan’s representative Farzana Bari
read paper in Multan workshop to share experiences of Pattan while working on gender issues in flooded
areas communities.
12
See Further pp. 61-64; Arif Jabbar’s paper in Multan’s Workshop which explain Oxfam’s gender
sensitive working approach in flood hazardous areas of Pakistan and development of relief model, 1997
13
Quantitative data has been derived from Time line PRA tool applied in both case study areas. See Further
Livelihood options in flood disaster by Nadeem: Kashif, 2000-01 JRC
14
Analysis provided in Livelihood patterns have been taken from Social Map PRA tool which gathered
100% information about all households in both case study areas. See Further related major component
research study, 2000-20001 JRC
15
Flood damage data was also collected from all households in both villages. See Further related major
component research study, 2000-2001 JRC
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