Transforming Gendered Lives and Livelihoods in Post-disaster Settings in the Bangladesh Sundarbans Forest

Abstract

This chapter surveys literature on gendered livelihoods, disasters and community resilience, and contributes to the application of intersectionality in research on the post-cyclone influences of Cyclone Aila on gendered livelihoods in the Sundarbans forest communities of south-west Bangladesh and Aila’s intersectional impacts on the forest communities’ resilience. Overall, the literature has established Aila’s severe impacts on the gendered livelihood-seeking behaviours of the forest-dependents in the Sundarbans. This review chapter examines the resilience-building of the rural poor communities of the Sundarbans forest areas, and patterns of livelihood support services given to the Aila survivors by the four national NGOs (Shushilan, BRAC, SAMS and LEADRS). Thereafter, the paper investigates the intersectional dimensions of gender, religion and marital status influencing the gendered relations of the Aila survivors. Finally, the study demonstrates the utility of intersectionality as a theoretical tool for delving into livelihood transformation and gendered relations of two contrasting Sundarbans forest communities.