Gender and Power Analysis Report: Disaster Ready Project, Timor-Leste 2018

Timor-Leste is subject to a range of disaster events, including rapid onset high winds, landslides, flash floods and minor earthquakes, which tend to happen frequently but have a limited humanitarian impact. Higher risk natural disasters include slow onset events such as prolonged rains or droughts, which are particularly severe in La Niña/El Niño years, increasingly affecting communities throughout Timor-Leste. These emergencies are likely to increase in frequency and/ or severity in coming years as a result of climate change. With approximately seventy percent (70%) of the population living in rural areas, reliant on subsistence agriculture and with poor access to infrastructure, services and markets, communities are highly vulnerable to disasters. The high prevalence of malnutrition and inadequate water and sanitation pose additional challenges and impact on communities’ ability to prepare for natural disaster and adapt to the changing environment.

The primary goal of the Gender and Power Analysis is to gain a broader understanding of gender and power dynamics that will affect the success of the Disaster READY project. The objectives of the analysis are to:

- understand how gender and social norms and beliefs influence women and men's ability to prepare and respond to disasters;
- identify gender inequalities and harmful social and cultural norms that affect women and men's ability to prepare and respond to disasters;
- identify positive trends, factors and role models that can be used to promote and drive transformation of harmful gender norms and practices;
- identify actions that Disaster READY can implement to promote equality in women and men's ability to prepare and respond to disasters;
- apply the analysis to strengthen existing activities and ensure that they are not gender blind.

Disaster READY is a 4.5 year, $42.5m Australian Government funded program to help Timor-Leste and Pacific Island communities prepare for and build resilience to disasters.

Implemented by Australian NGOS with their local partners, Disaster READY has a specific focus on strengthening the ability of local communities and organisations in the Indo Pacific region, with an initial focus in Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, PNG and Timor-Leste.