Disasters are often the result of poor policy decisions and have severe development related implications on impoverished and disadvantaged communities in both global North and South. They are also more than just ‘events’ and their multidimensional implications continue to shape the collective lives and memories of those affected, far beyond the occurrences (also called a ‘disaster cycle’). Socially, economically and historically marginalised people are disproportionately affected during disasters (Yonder et al 2005; Saeed 2023; UN Press 2022; Frank 2020, United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women 2022). At the same time, there are innumerable cases of marginalised groups leading disaster relief, recovery and rebuilding, highlighting the collective capacities of affected communities.
Increasingly, the role of women and women’s organisations in responding to emergent needs during a crisis is being recognised (Coger et al 2022). Yet, women’s needs and the critical role of their organisations are overlooked during crisis response and funding allocations, and their voices and experiences often do not find space in policy discussions. This is reflected in the lack of access to development and relief funds for local groups and collectives, particularly those working with women and youth. The global policy impetus in relief and reconstruction work continues to be on managing and avoiding the negative impacts of disasters on labour markets, productivity, resources, and building resilience while ensuring timely action to avoid damage (The UN Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction by UNDDR 2023), without adequate engagement with the priorities and needs of those on the ground.
This Issue of G&D hopes to shine light on the efforts, needs, and the action taken by local groups and communities who directly face crises, advocate for their efforts to be valued and recognised within global policy as well as funding spaces, and draw learnings from their collective experiences. We want to hear from community and grassroots leaders, climate justice advocates, women’s rights and human rights activists, civil society organisations and networks, researchers and academics, policymakers, and practitioners who are directly involved in work related to disaster management, risk mitigation and emergency response; community led response; technologies for disaster recovery; feminist leadership and movement building; humanitarian action; vulnerability and resilience; and healing and collective care during and post disaster- to contribute to this critical theme. We especially invite contributions that share case studies and practice-based recommendations.
Our guest editors for this issue are Dr. Ayse Yonder, Dr. Gayatri Menon and Suranjana Gupta.
Please send your abstract of no more than 250 words with details about your research and preliminary findings or a small multi-modal proposal (a two-minute video clip abstract or 250 word abstract with images) by the 15th of January, 2024. Please use this link to make the submission: https://forms.gle/oWGXNvukF7vt8Ung6.
Read the detailed Call for Contributions here: Disaster and Resilience: intersectional approaches towards establishing resilient communities during crises
Note about Gender and Development:
Gender & Development, co-published by Oxfam and Routledge/Taylor & Francis, has been a steadfast source of essential readings in the field of development for the past 25 years. Since its founding in 1993, the journal has critically explored a range of cross-cutting issues in the areas of gender and development. It is a trailblazer in establishing inclusive and decolonialist approaches to knowledge creation and management in the wider international humanitarian and development sectors. From 1st January 2022, a consortium of Oxfam affiliates in the global South will be hosting Gender & Development. Together, Oxfams Brazil, Colombia, India, KEDV (Turkey), Mexico and South Africa will take over from Oxfam Great Britain, which has provided the editorial home for the journal since its founding more than 25 years ago.