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Burma : Repurcussions of Nargis and update on Tsunami

C Murray | 19.05.2008 11:09 | Analysis | Migration | Repression

Not alone the fight for survival in the aftermath of Nargis , but issues
of corruption which has prevented aid have appalling repurcussions
for the people of Burma/Myanmar.

Issues unlooked at generally in msm,are those relating to gender and
Lawlessness. The women at  http://www.isiswomen.org are covering
reportage on gender violence in disaster aftermath this month.

getting water after a cyclone
getting water after a cyclone


Isis Women cover NGO and UN issues through use of CMI and Independent
radio* their links are truly global and they talk about the oft-neglected issues
that are gender-specific (in what is often a media-scrum involving facts and figures,
that reduce human cost and impact to nothing)

The site :  http://www.isiswomen.org have covered everything from the
Million Signature Campaign to bi-lateral trade agreements in the ACP;
and UN Gender reform architecture. Huge movements for change have been
occurring in the Africa's and ACP and they go virtually ignored in Western
Press. There are also emags available on a monthly basis. The info
for this short piece comes from the 'WE!' publication.

One question for activists and people working toward a more equitable
trade and wealth share- why does the media you consume not talk of
issues relevant to women-be it mass migration/rape/lack of maternity
facilities?

Links:

 http://www.altsean.org/Reports/Disaster.php
 http://www.news24.com/News24/World/Tsunami_Disaster/0,,2-10-1777_1673008,0.html

The bulletin is dedicated to the issues of gender disaggregation in
relation to facts and figures that are hidden or do not make the radar.

or to put it quite simply if we do not talk of it , it continues to happen:

There is a link on the 'We!' bulletin to the issues round cyclonic
and Tsunami aftermath which quite clearly states that:

'Women advocates often speak of the silencing of women: from History,
from policy formation and from key aspects in relief and development"

Post tsunami rises in lawlessness and rape are discussed on Red Cross
and Red Crescent links and at the news 24 link provided above.

Bilbliographic info and reading matter can be accessed through the isis
site:

Pan American Health Organisation>> Fact Sheet on Gender and Natural Disasters
International federations of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society>> World
Disaster's report 2003.
Sen, Amartya "More than one million women are Missing" New York Review of
Books, 1990.

Interestingly the % show that when men outnumber women in disasters
there is an increase in rape crime, but when re-build begins often the
women are left out from the very outset from consultations on what
is necessary in relation to health and community access buildings.

The reports and links on isis are well worth the read- the long term effects
of the Tsunami on Aceh is referred to along with the critical aftermath
of Cyclone Nargis.

C Murray
- Homepage: http://poethead.wordpress.com

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  1. note to publisher — j