Can New ICTs Facilitate Women as Key Actorin Disaster Risk Reduction?Narratives from Southern Bangladesh

Abstract

It is evident that new ICTs can facilitate better access to information which ultimately contributes taking life saving decision and managing critical situation. This paper talks about how women’s access to new ICTs facilitate better decision in reducing disaster risk and challenging the traditional view ‘men as decision making agent’. Natural disaster is regular phenomenon in Bangladesh. Southern part of Bangladesh is more prone to disaster than any other districts. In 2007, divesting cyclone Sidr and in 2009 Aila caused serious damage to livestock and human life. The study reveals that due to lack of information regarding coping mechanism during and after disaster increases magnitude of damage and loss. Moreover, it is also found that when women access to information through new ICTs, they take decision or at least influence husband providing whatever information they had on disaster risk deduction. Even though, women faced some practical problems, but they preferred to move to shelter centre during disaster to minimize losses. The paper found ICTs equipped women as key drivers of disaster risk reduction at grassroots of Bangladesh.