Gender Mainstreaming in Drought Disaster Risk Reduction

Abstract

Climate change has affected the whole world and caused disasters, include drought. Since Tana Mbanas village in Central Sumba District is the driest remote area in eastern region of Indonesia, gender inequality has affected in daily life of people in the village instead of other social and environmental problems. This research aimed to evaluate how gender mainstreaming implemented in drought disaster risk reduction in Tana Mbanas village in Central Sumba Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province. The result of the research is expected to become a mirror that reflects Sumba island gender and development issues. The research took place in Tana Mbanas village in Central Sumba Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province, and conducted by qualitative method with purposive data sampling. The steps taken in the research were observation, data collecting by questionnaire and in-depth interview to respondents, and literature review. It was reported that Tana Mbanas village people has given water management assistance by village fund, conducting water management counselling, saving water, and harvesting rain systems in every household. This research meets conclusions that: (1) Several programs and planned actions in water supply system and infrastructure development have become initiatives of government agencies of village authorities, BPBD and Public Work Agency of Central Sumba Regency; (2) People demonstrated vulnerability to drought as well as lack of water supply and also water resources; (3) Strong efforts should be conducted to educate people and increase women capacity in coping issues of poverty, drought, and lack of water supply; and (4) Government agencies and other private institutions have to build women capacity as their participation in enhancing gender equality and mainstreaming gender.