Gender Equity

Gender-Based Differences in the Face of Shocks and Stressors

Gender-based differences in vulnerability, mobility, time use and ownership/control of financial resources affect how people cope with shocks and stressors. Men and women can experience vulnerability from different sources: 

• Men tend to be more vulnerable to migration risks. 

• Men are often at greater risk of recruitment by extremist groups. 

• Women often are at greater risk of adjusting food consumption patterns following a shock or stress, which may adversely impact maternal and child nutrition. 

• Women are at greater risk of gender-based violence following a shock or stressor. 

• Women’s assets are less likely than men’s to be kept in bank accounts, so women’s assets are more likely to be lost during a crisis. 

• Women often face an increased domestic work burden during a disaster or crisis. 

• In developed countries, men face more risks associated with first-responder work during disasters; in developing countries, women face risks associated with lack of access to warning information, transportation and shelter during disasters. 

• Boys may be vulnerable to leaving school when their families need their labor. 

• Girls may be vulnerable to leaving school when their families cannot afford tuition. 

Empowering Women Empowers Communities 

Women are more reticent than men to use their assets to manage shocks and stresses, for fear of falling into chronic poverty. Empowering women has been found to be particularly influential to household resilience. Women’s empowerment tends to reduce women’s use of negative coping mechanisms. Furthermore, households where women have more decision-making power are more likely to have more food security and social capital. 

Building the Evidence Base 

A growing body of evidence shows the importance of gender equity and social inclusion as a resilience capacity. Following 2014 flooding exposure, Bangladeshi women with high empowerment scores maintained household food security longer than women with low empowerment scores. A study in Somalia found similar results. Women’s empowerment was significantly and positively associated with proactive coping strategies. 

Current research has almost exclusively focused on women’s empowerment in building resilience. Future research should focus on differentiating vulnerabilities and capacities of men and boys as well. This may help us better understand how gender dynamics interact with resilience.