Mohammed Moniruzzaman Khan Disaster and Gender in Coastal Bangladesh Women’s Changing Roles, Risk and Vulnerability Disaster and Gender in Coastal Bangladesh Mohammed Moniruzzaman Khan Disaster and Gender in Coastal Bangladesh Women’s Changing Roles, Risk and Vulnerability Mohammed Moniruzzaman Khan Department of Sociology Jagannath University Dhaka, Bangladesh ISBN 978-981-19-3283-0 ISBN 978-981-19-3284-7 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-3284-7 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. The registered company address is: 152 Beach Road, #21-01/04 Gateway East, Singapore 189721, Singapore This book is dedicated to the loving memory of my father Abdur Rahman Khan and my mother Ayesha Rahman who sacrificed everything for our happiness and smiling faces. Preface This book comprises seven chapters; Chapter 1 of the book focuses on the research background by introducing the importance of the study of disaster, women and vulnerability discourse in coastal Bangladesh. It explains the background, rationale and aims of the study and focuses on the socio-economic and demographic context of women in Bangladesh; history of disasters in Bangladesh; disaster, vulnerability, coping and adaptation mechanisms by women; and institutionalisation of disaster management, women and climate change policies. Moreover, this chapter attempts to focus on women’s role in disaster management policies, as well as the position of women as leaders in disaster management and how GO and NGOs popularise and strengthen women’s institutional arena. Chapter 1 discusses the theories related to disaster, women, changes and vulnerability. Theoretical framework and conceptual considerations are discussed to understand how theoretical issues such as pressure and release, access and entitlement and women and social transformation are fit and relevant to research questions and objectives. This chapter basically works as a base that guides the complete study to focus on relevant theories and conceptualisations in the prevailing literature to identify the research gap and ways in which gender analysis in disaster research can be conceptualised. Chapter 2 discusses the sources of data, techniques, methods and plans for investigation. The chapter presents the background to the selection of research questions, study area and methodology for this study. The reasons for selecting Dacope, Khulna, as a suitable study area for the investigation are provided in Chap. 2. In addition to socio-economic conditions, this chapter focuses on the vulnerability to disasters in Dacope. In this chapter, the methodology and methods of data collection are elaborated. This chapter explains all the steps of data collection, analysis and challenges faced in performing fieldwork in the remote Dacope of Khulna. In this chapter, the manner in which challenges are dealt and consequent limitations of this research are discussed. Chapter 3 focuses on the vulnerability of women in the coastal area in everyday life, particularly for social practices and traditions. Chapter 4 covers the vulnera- bility of women in the coastal area from the aspects of lacking access and entitle- ment to resources and not being able to play a decision-making role. Furthermore, this chapter deals with, along with coping and adaptation mechanisms, the different vii viii Preface challenges and responses of women of different backgrounds. Chapter 5 focuses on women’s empowerment, agency building and how the interventions of GO and NGOs are effective. However Chap. 6 addresses the status of women participation with the decision-making process at both community and family level, as well as their representation at different committees and their impacts. This chapter focuses on the extent to which the intervention of GO and NGO helps women build an agency and consequently women are able to play a more active role in the community. In the coastal area, although changes, social transformation, development of agency, their participation and involvement with decision-making process are not radical; however, it has happened in daily practices, traditions and everyday lives of women at a community level because of the intervention of GO, NGOs and Aila as a disaster. Finally, Chap. 7, the concluding chapter, links important empirical results relating to the theoretical explanation. Moreover, it offers recommendations on research impli- cations and policy implications for speeding up and considering an inclusive and fair strategy for developing agency and empowering women. This chapter ends with certain suggestions for additional disaster-related studies, women and vulnerability and develops a model for understanding disaster, gender and improving/empowering coastal women. Dhaka, Bangladesh Mohammed Moniruzzaman Khan Declaration by the Author This is my own work and acknowledges that all results, data and quotations have been used from the published or unpublished study of other people. There were no changes to intellectual content or substance of this book because of advice from third parties (paid or unpaid) who contributed by collecting data or provided copy editing or proof reading services. I completely acknowledged all such contributions. To my knowledge, this original work does not break any law or infringe any third party’s copyright or intellectual property right. Mohammed Moniruzzaman Khan ix Acknowledgements Bryant McGill metaphorically reported that nothing grows in the shadow of want without the sunlight of acknowledging one’s fullness. From the front stage, I therefore have always looked forward to the opportunity of duly thanking each person who inspired me from the backstage in writing this book. My foremost appreciation, deepest sense of gratitude and indebtedness to my Ph.D. supervisor Dr. Alison Loveridge for contributing to develop my intellectual engagement and style through her constructive criticism. Without her scholastic guidance, valuable suggestions, constant encouragement, constructive feedback and direct involvement with every chapter of the book whenever I asked for, it would have never been possible to publish this book. Professor Dr. Rangalal Sen, Professor Dr. Mijanur Rahman, Professor Dr. Mahbuba Nasreen, Professor Dr. Mokadem Hossain, Professor Dr. Mashiur Rahman, Dr. Debasish Kundu of Dhaka University taught me to examine sociology and social problems through the lens of others. I owe them for making me what I am today. I thank Jagannath University, Dhaka, for granting me leave for this research and bearing my absence from the academic point of view of its Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences. I would like to thank all government officials in Bangladesh from national to local level, particularly UNO, Dacope, who helped me beyond my expectations to gain access in the research field. During my fieldwork, I have been extremely fortunate to have wonderful research assistants with whom I travelled all the time and who played an important role and worked really hard in my fieldwork in Bangladesh. My appreci- ation is extended to all respondents, participants and discussants who provided infor- mation and offered me friendship during field data collection. I sincerely acknowl- edge the cooperation and support of locally elected representatives, particularly the chairmen of both Sutarkhali and Kamarkhola unions. Moreover, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to my elderly mother for her sacrifice; I am privileged to have had supportive and loving family members, which has greatly helped in shaping this study. Finally, there is one person who deserves my appreciation above all others and that is my wife Nurunnahar Mazumder who was kind, sacrificing, patient, loving and supporting. If she did not take all responsibilities of the family on her shoulders, none of this would have been possible. She deserves xi xii Acknowledgements my sincerest acknowledgement for believing in me and for sacrificing, managing the family and for facing all types of problems in my absence. Throughout this study, it would be less than fair if I did not acknowledge the support received from Dr. Farida Akhtar Khanam, Dr. Leema Hoque, Shipra Sarker, Dr. Farhana Zaman, Choyan Kumar Saha, Mostofa Mukul, Arif Rahman, Rifat Istiak, Shamima Nasreen Mily, Nazmul Islam Opu, Marjia Rahman Mili, Suborna Mondol, Suza Uddin, Sadman Sakib, Rahela Mukta, Mehraz Tapu, Md. Jahidul Islam, Esmin Sarkar Eva and Toma.