Abstract:
The article argues that African women and children are vulnerable to any type of
disaster or pandemic at the micro or macro level, due to their high levels of
susceptibility and unequal access to resources as compared to their male
counterparts. The study explores the views of stakeholders in disaster
management through document reviews, interviews, focus group discussions and
observations. Results of the study reveal that women in Zimbabwe, Mozambique,
Malawi and South Africa suffered more at the hands of Cyclone Idai in 2019 and
the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, as compared to their male counterparts.
Domestic violence cases against women increased, sexual abuse against women
and girls in temporary shelters also increased, and privacy and ante-natal services
were limited or not available at all in emergency facilities during Cyclone Idai
and COVID19. The article recommends that disaster management in
communities should take a continuous multi-stakeholder approach where all
parties take turns to be at the forefront in terms of basic needs provisions. More
resources should be set aside with enough monitoring and evaluation at national
and international levels to cater for the vulnerable communities and sectors of the
population like women and children during disasters and pandemics.
Description:
The journal is a forum for the discussion of ideas, scholarly opinions and
case studies of leadership, development and governance at local, national
and supranational levels and also coming from across various sectors of
the economy. It is premised on the idea that leadership is meant to create
anticipated futures by leaders. Development is a revelationist endeavour
that must be governed well for the sake of intergenerational equity. The
journal is produced bi-annually.
