Islamabad:The recent devastating floods have widened the gap in gender disparity as sufferings of young girls and women have increased considerably and they are battling for equality in existing social circumstances.
According to the data collected by non-governmental organizations from flood-affected areas, women who belong to far-flung and backward areas are at risk because of a lack of education, poverty, and limited access to technology like mobile phones, which makes them more vulnerable.
The reports also showed that there are about 610,000 pregnant women among the groups most severely affected by the negative impacts of climate change. The floods have caused a variety of issues for these women because their homes and health care facilities have been partially or fully affected.
Women and girls are also facing rising gender-based violence. Women who go to collect firewood, fetch water, and collect food supplies, and those who go too far away from their camps to use the washroom, increase their exposure to violence. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) revealed that women and children are 14 times more likely than men to bear the brunt of fatalities as a result of natural calamities.
Deep-rooted gender inequality, exacerbated by poverty and illiteracy, is making life more miserable for women after the catastrophe caused by floods. According to the Global Gender Gap Report, Pakistan ranked 145 out of 146 countries, officially making it the second worst country in terms of gender equality.