Beyond Economic Survival: Women with Disabilities Coping Strategies During Covid-19 Pandemic in Yogyakarta

Abstract

. James Scott’s Subsistence Ethics theory explained 3 peasant survival strategies in coping with crisis situations, i.e. reducing expenditure, using alternative subsistence and broadening networks to attain assistance outside their family. In COVID-19 pandemic crisis context, women with disability social groups develop their survival strategy beyond economic survival as outlined by Subsistence Ethics theory. During the pandemic women with disabilities in Yogyakarta develop their economic strategy by tightening their spending other than for food, finding other possible sources of livelihood and extending their social network to get assistance. However, reducing their spending meant sacrificing their special needs and worsened their disability condition. Therefore, economic survival strategy is not sufficient for women with disability. They also develop social and health strategy to cope with the pandemic situation. Both strategies are developed to fulfill their specific needs according to their disabilities and respond to government and community response to the pandemic which do not always in accordance with the needs of women with disability. survival strategies of peasant families in rural areas in dealing with crises, natural disaster, famine, and crop failure.