Disasters and the Diminishing of Women's Economic Empowerment.

This article aims to examine, both theoretically and empirically, the relationships between rapid-onset disasters and women's economic freedom. It answers the question "How do disasters impact women's economic empowerment?" We argue that there are underlying factors contributing to unequal economic opportunities that are exacerbated by disasters. Current literature discusses how disasters impact women's economic and political rights but often does not account for variables that may not have been captured in current indices. We examine women's burden of care, restrictions on mobility, formal economic employment, and access to recovery resources as impacting their economic empowerment. We analyze countries that experience disasters from the years 1981-2019 to uncover the effects of disasters on women's economic freedom.