Adolescent girls, disasters, technologies: Triple Jeopardy?

As a man having no sisters and children, it was very hard for me to understand the world of an adolescent girl. Plan International’s Because I am a Girl Report 2013 changed that.

This report has connected two globally important themes – the International Day of the Girl (11 October) and the International Day for Disaster Reduction (13 October) – in a rather unprecedented way.

At any given time adolescent girls around the globe face various problems and challenges? in their own homes and in their societies. These girls who are already vulnerable, or ‘in jeopardy’ because of their sex and age, are doubly jeopardized when disasters hit their communities. Plan’s report shows that in times of disaster girls are less likely to be rescued than boys and when food is scarce, girls are also given less food. After disasters, girls are less likely to return to school and emergencies also increase their risk of being forced into child marriage, of being sexually abused and of having to work as labourers.

I believe that these jeopardies are aggravated by a third jeopardy – the abuse or absence of technologies, or a dimension of technology injustice. By technology, I do not only mean machines or hardware, but also knowledge, skills (software) and capacity to manage and use these.

During times of disaster, young girls often stay out in shelters where they have no option but to sleep in close proximity with other people – men and women alike – without separate toilets, privacy for bathing, or lack of any provision for menstruation. After disasters, access to appropriate livelihoods technologies and crisis management knowledge means that families often pull their young girls out of education and force them into early marriage or put them in the job market.

But, how can we tackle these jeopardies?

First, we need to put much greater emphasis on girls’ education and that must include disaster risk reduction.

We also need to focus on the use of appropriate technologies at all steps of disaster management ? risk reduction, preparedness, early warning, response and recovery. While doing so, different and special needs for girls and women are very important to consider. Separate rooms for them, for example, in a cyclone shelter and keeping the latrine and drinking water sources attached to the shelter are small but significant elements for keeping them safe. The introduction of an emergency response hotline in 2010 for girls and women in Haiti is another positive example of use of technology.

Technology is an important tool, but it cannot change the negative outlook of society towards girls. To truly support adolescent girls in disasters and make the best use of technologies, we need to do two things: we must listen to girls and appreciate not undermine their strengths in disaster preparedness and management.

As this new report highlights, we can no longer consider girls ‘invisible’ in disasters.

Haseeb Md. Irfanullah leads the Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Programme of Practical Action in Bangladesh. He is available at haseeb.irfanullah@practicalaction.org.bd