HEALTH AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN DISASTER: PRELIMINARY FINDINGS

Abstract

The principal objective of this paper is to provide a general overview of the problems experienced by people during
recent flood disaster in Bihar, with special reference to the issues of health and violence against women. The findings
are primarily based on the basis of the study conducted in the flood affected districts of Bihar i.e., Saharsa and Supaul
where people were in temporary relief phase and struggling for longer term rehabilitation. Different types of disaster
have differential impact on the population.
Flood disaster in Bihar leads to displacement for longer period of time in many parts of the state where many villages
are completely washed off making women more vulnerable to further sufferings. However, in this paper, the main
attention is on women in disaster situation, it becomes important to differentiate the condition of women, in the
situation that permits return to the original home, shortly after the flood and those that displace them for long
periods of time. According to the findings, the former is associated with the situation where women are better placed
than latter where women has to face more hardships and sufferings leading to poor health condition and making her
vulnerable to victimization.