Challenges of Women in Post-Disaster Health Management: A Study in Khulna District

Abstract

: Health management in post-disaster phase needs more attention than any other phase because this includes mitigation and recovery which is challenging for people especially women. Women play an active traditional gender roles in family with a lot of responsibilities; in post-disaster period they faced more challenges in management of health. Quantitative methods were used to assess the challenges of women in post-disaster health management, this study was carried out on Dacope Upazila (North Kamarkhola village) of Khulna District. Following simple random sampling procedure by using interview schedule, 199 participants were selected from 412 population. Both descriptive as well as inferential statistics were applied in this study, statistical tests such as Pearson’s chi-square, correlation and regression had been done to test the hypotheses. Findings show that socioeconomic position like employment status of women ( p <0.024), types of houses ( p <0.000), monthly income ( p <0.001), monthly savings ( p <0.001), monthly household income ( p <0.000) and household savings ( p <0.019) occupation ( p <0.019) and head of the household had ( p <0.058) a significant relationship with the challenges of women in post-disaster health management. Monthly income and physical health problem were also correlated with the challenges. In OLS regression test it was found that health (physical and mental) and family size had great positive impact on challenges of women. The study also found that, women of North Kamarkhola village were unable to get medical facilities and maintain proper menstrual hygiene immediately after disaster. Vio-lence against women was also a little bit increased in post-disaster period which generated challenges.