Pakistan’s flood crisis is particularly tough on poor women. Estimates show that 650,000 women currently located in flood-affected areas in Pakistan are in need of access to maternal health services, and that as many as 73,000 had to deliver babies during September 2022. Malnourished pregnant women are also at risk of giving birth to low birthweight babies who will be malnourished. Women already have insufficient food and water to consume but in this case they do not eat and drink whole day just to avoid to go for defecating. This is also creating malnutrition in women. The situation of pregnant women is worse. There are no arrangements in most of the camps. One of our NHN organization reported that in one of the camps in Sind two women delivered babies without having anything, no clothes for the baby. nothing and no trained birth attendant. Women form their camp managed her delivery which is off course would have health issues. There had been no arrangement of any transport to take that to the hospital as well. It was also seen that lady doctors are not there at the relief or medical camps and women having issues are not able to communicate to male doctors. This happened in the end of September 2022.
Floods doubled the protection risks for women and children. Family separation, theft, Gender based violence, rapes—women and girls remain vulnerable. More than half of the women in Sindh and KP have insufficient access to latrines. Women and girls do not have access to menstrual hygiene items and this is causing sever issues of maintaining their hygiene. In some places at Sindh where the hygiene kits / dignity kits have been distributed, there is no mechanism of disposal. These used materials cannot be properly disposed of. There are no latrines in the camps. Women wait whole day to go in groups in night and whole day they can’t go. This is another level of distress.
Gender disparity in Pak healthcare system contributing to dismal health of women. The World Health Organization expressed deep concerns about the potential for a “second disaster in Pakistan: a wave of diseases and deaths” following the unprecedented floods and mostly it will affect women & children.
Floods have triggered the dire need of protection mechanisms and restoration of the security and dignity of the displaced women.
Women have safety issues left and right,” there is a likelihood of more assault and harassment cases. Cases of disputes/violence against were reported during the relief distribution.
As compared to men women are less likely to receive information through digital media, in flood camps and affected areas.
Pattan, HANDS- NHN member organizations has disseminated information on PSEA through focal persons and volunteers in Sindh and Punjab.
Majority of women have lost their livelihoods (especially women working in the fields). So they will have no cash flow for another six to eight months or may be for years.
The upcoming winter season is haunting these women and they want to rebuild their houses at the earliest and want to leave the camps, however there is 2 -5 ft flood water surrounding their areas