2012 Awards for Excellence

Citation

(2013), "2012 Awards for Excellence", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 22 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/DPM.07322aaa.002

2012 Awards for Excellence

Article Type: 2012 Awards for Excellence From: Disaster Prevention and Management, Volume 22, Issue 1.

The following article was selected for this year's Outstanding Paper Award for Disaster Prevention and Management

“Disempowerment through disconnection: local women's disaster response and international relief in post-tsunami Batticaloa”

Kristin S. Scharffscher - The University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the relationship between local women’s relief initiatives and international relief workers in Batticaloa, eastern Sri Lanka, during the post-tsunami emergency.

Design/methodology/approach – Interviews with representatives from women’s organizations in the tsunami-affected town of Batticaloa, local and national nongovernment organizations (NGOs) based in Batticaloa, as well as international aid agencies are discussed in relation to theories on resilience, vulnerability, gender and humanitarianism.

Findings – Observing that women in a disaster-affected area often represent important knowledge and resources, this paper documents how international relief workers failed to connect and cooperate with local women’s organizations in post-tsunami Batticaloa. It suggests that the reasons behind the disconnection can be linked to “us and them” undercurrents of international relief work – the lingering remnants of a colonial heritage. The disconnection may have led to a disempowerment of local capacities, flaws in the international relief activities, and reduced resilience among Batticaloan women in relation to the Sri Lankan civil war.

Research limitations/implications – Despite a growing volume of policies and guidelines on the importance of involving local capacities, there are inadequacies in the way international relief agencies operate vis-à-vis disaster-affected communities, including women’s established relief networks.

Practical implications – The paper points at some reasons why international relief organizations struggle to engage local women’s resources in their emergency operations. It suggests that cultural, social, and linguistic barriers are among those that need to be addressed if relief workers are to provide effective and sustainable assistance to crisis-affected communities.

Originality/value – Coupling theories of resilience, vulnerability, gender, and humanitarianism, this paper argues that women in disaster-affected areas must be involved in international relief operations in a way that reflects their actual knowledge and resources. Presenting original interview material and documents collected during the first six months of the post-tsunami operation, as well as through a follow-up study in 2008, the paper points at international aid agencies’ apparent inability to acknowledge local women’s resilience and take their capacities into account. It also points at some of the ways in which this compromised the effectiveness and sustainability of international relief work in post-tsunami Batticaloa.

Keywords: Gender, Natural disasters, Sri Lanka, Tidal waves, Women

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/09653561111111090

This article originally appeared in Volume 20 Number 1, 2011, pp. 63-81 Disaster Prevention and Management

The following articles were selected for this year's Highly Commended Award

“Challenges of disaster vulnerability reduction in Lagos Megacity Area, Nigeria”

Eziyi Offia Ibem

This article originally appeared in Volume 20 Number 1, 2011, Disaster Prevention and Management

“Whose risks? Gender and the ranking of hazards”

Per Becker

This article originally appeared in Volume 20 Number 4, 2011, Disaster Prevention and Management

“Social supremacy and its role in local level disaster mitigation planning in Bangladesh”

Bishawjit Mallick and Joachim Vogt

This article originally appeared in Volume 20 Number 5, 2011, Disaster Prevention and Management