1.1 O'vsastets - a <yo\N\v\q 1.2 Seeing disasters d\fferentVy 21 1.3 Understanding vulnerability to disaster 22 1.4 Linking disasters and development25 1.5 Current development - a cause of disasters? 33 2. An alternative approach to disasters 35 2.1 The Alternative Perspective 35 2.2 The issue of gender 38 2.3 Gender issues in disasters 46 3. Impact of disasters on women and men Realities for South Asia 5 5 3.1 Differences in social and cultural impacts 55 3.2 Differences in economic impacts 64 3.3 Differences in psychological impacts 70 4. Recognizing community capacities 75 4.1 Gender-based differences in coping with disasters 76 4.1.1 Gender-based differences in community preparedness for disaster 77 4.1.2 Coping as disaster strikes79 4.1.3 Re-building after a disaster 81 5. Current practice The absence of gender sensitivity in disaster management 83 6. Agendas for change Policy and practice 91 7. Agenda for policy makers95 8. Guidelines for disaster management practitioners 115 Overall disaster preparedness 116 Focus on women specific concerns 123 Planning initial disaster responses/ emergency management 125 Planning for rehabilitation/reconstruction 130 Monitoring and Evaluation 132 Glossary of terms 135 Recommended reading 159