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Bangladesh

Rapid Gender Analysis (RGA): Bangladesh Eastern Flash Floods 2024

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Executive Summary:

The flash floods have exacerbated the vulnerabilities of marginalized groups, including poor and the ultra-poor, women, children, adolescent girls, the elderlies, female headed households, persons with disabilities, the chronically ill, religious minorities and gender diverse people.

This Rapid Gender Analysis (RGA) focuses on understanding the gender dimensions of the impacts of the flash floods in Noakhali and Feni districts based on field assessments conducted by Oxfam staff between 26 to 27 August 2024 and secondary literature review. The RGA strives to identify gender-specific immediate as well as mid-to-long term needs for response, recovery, and rehabilitation.

A multi-sectoral approach with contributions of multi-level stakeholders is essential to address gender-differentiated needs and priorities and social inclusion in the aftermath of the disaster. On the one hand, urgent interventions need to be undertaken to address immediate gender-specific needs and priorities i.e. through multi-purpose cash grants and in-kind contributions for food and non-food items (including baby food, dignity, and menstrual hygiene kits); and gender-segregated community sanitation facilities, safe spaces for women, girls and children; and enabling access to essential services and community-based protection mechanisms. Side by side, mid to long-term interventions are essential for their socio-economic recovery i.e. through cash for work schemes, livelihood restoration interventions, enhanced coverage of social safety nets, protection mechanisms against GBV and for child protection, and accessible early warning systems. Agency building of women, girls, and marginalized groups, and creating enabling environment for gender justice and social inclusion is essential to address gender issues in emergencies as well as post-disaster.

As a way forward, women’s decision-making roles and agencies need to be strengthened at both the family and community levels to be able to effectively address gender in emergencies. In this regard, women and marginalized groups should be enabled to voice their needs and priorities through increased agencies and participation of women and marginalized groups at community decision-making structures (i.e. at disaster management and WASH committees and food security consultation forums). In the long run, enabling environment needs to be created for addressing harmful socio-cultural and gender norms and practices that hinders gender equitable and inclusive access to essential needs and services, critical decision-making factors, coupled with transformative leadership development of women and youth as gender equality advocates. Equitable recovery processes and inclusive rebuilding of community resilience should form an essential component of humanitarian responses in Bangladesh to leave no one behind.