Engendering Disaster Management

• Worked on relief and rehabilitation in all 52 severely affected villages in Marathwada after the Latur and Osmanabad districts were affected due to disastrous earthquake in September 1993. Apart from arranging food and other relief material SAK was closely involved in bringing women out of the psychological trauma, help get their due compensation from government and empower them to live a life of dignity and disastrous. A number of economic rehabilitation programs were implemented especially entrepreneurship development, developing their agricultural lands to rehabilitee them on their own lands, linkages with government schemes, nutrition development program through kitchen gardening and importantly get the newly constructed houses in joint names of husband and wife and in case of widow then in her own name. SAK's Prithvi Project were 200 EQ widows were rehabilitated on their own agricultural lands.

  
  

  Mahila Mandals (Women's Associations) and Self Help Groups of women were formed in all 52 villages which are operating even after 20 years and they are actively involved in SAK grassroots and advocacy activities. The membership of women is more than 4000 women in the two affected districts.

  
  
• Support to people in Pune and Mumbai affected by July 2005 floods - Flood relief (2005) in Pune and Mumbai metros supported by Community Aid Abroad Oxfam Australia after unprecedented 26th July 2005 floods and flashfloods affected these two major metropolitans of western India. The project aimed at to Search, rescue, relief and rehabilitation of affected people. Highlighting gender issues in these processes. Advocating for drawing up long term disaster preparedness at community as well as government level.
  

  Achievements:

  
  
  • 1) Direct relief support to 1258 affected households in 7 most affected slums of Mumbai and 279 HH in 5 slums of Pune city. The relief material involved food grains packets of 12 kgs each.
  • 2) 3 girls from minority community from Mumbai age between 10 to 19 had lost their parents in the floods and also sustained injuries due to lightening up to 40 %. Rs. 3000 each was provided them as immediate help to restart life after floods receded. This is apart from support mobilized from government later.
  • 3) Visits were carried out to most affected slums and provided encouragement and counseling to restart the life and assurance of mobilization of government support.
  • 4) Advocacy with state government, Mumabi and Pune municipal authorities to ensure speedy relief and rehabilitation of the affected families from gender perspectives and ensure the compensation goes to right person /HH affected.


• Series of workshops were organized on engendering disaster management with the help of UNIFEM SARO in 2006 for GOs, NGOS, UN agencies and women's organizations and have trained over 120 women leaders in handling disaster management situations as and when arise alongside training in preparing to handle disasters.