Women adaptive capacity in post disaster recovery in Indonesia

Abstract

With an aim of identifying women coping capabilities in post disaster, the research objective of this paper is to analyze women resilience within the context of four primary sets of adaptive capacities – economic development, social capital, information and communication, and community competence. Such capabilities have enabled women in post disaster situations in Indonesia to adapt to post disaster situations, fostered acquisition of new skill that have enhanced their contribution to family livelihoods and communities, as well as post disaster socio and economic recovery. The paper points at some reason why women have their capability to return to even better life after disaster. It suggests that social capital, economic development, information and communication as well as cultural-based competence provide an effective and sustainable assistance to crisis-affected women. The originality of this paper is that the issue of women being vulnerable to disasters has gained strength in many reviews of disaster research. Nonetheless, based on results of this research, the notion of women vulnerability is discounted. Women resilience is enhanced in an environment that is characterized by robust availability, easy and quick access to resources, which can easily be deployed to reduce the impact of the disaster.