Impact of Post earthquake reconstruction on gender role: A Case Study of Balakot

Abstract

This study aims to understand role of gender in a disaster. It focuses on changing gender relations which are result of a disaster. On October 08, 2005, an earthquake of 7.5, intensity hit the northern areas of Pakistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) which was one of the biggest earthquakes in world's history. This earthquake badly damaged infrastructure and caused enormous human loss and injuries. The earthquake caused severe damage all over the earthquake affected area (NDMA, 2007). Villages were ruined and entire towns were wiped to the ground. An estimated 600,000homes were destroyed and about 3.5 million people were rendered homeless. According to estimations made by Oxfam the earthquake destroyed 84 per ~ cent of the houses in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and 36 per cent of the houses in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KPK) previously named as North West Frontier Province (IRIN, 2006). In addition to people's homes, the earthquake also destroyed their school buildings, colleges, work places, government buildings and health facilities (NDMA, 2007). The earthquake also damaged socio-cultural lives of the people. This study particularly aims to explore changes in gender role and relations. It investigates the perception of a disaster by the two genders; male and female. Further it explores prioritise given on the basis of gender in the reconstruction process by development organizations.