ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses gender politics in times of disaster in rural Nepal. Women and men experience disaster differently, and their needs in the aftermath of disaster often differ. It discusses some of the gender differences and the gender politics that undergird social relations during and after disaster. The chapter explores some effective disaster preparedness strategies that have been applied in Nepal's context and their effect on women and men. Nepal faces several types of disasters every year floods, drought, landslides, wildfires, soil erosion, hurricanes, earthquakes as well as conflict. The natural, climate-induced and anthropogenic disasters in Nepal are quite frequent due to changes in topographical and climatic variability that tend to aggravate socioeconomic and political instability. Women in Nepal are often overburdened with the drudgery of domestic chores such as fetching firewood and water, as well as contributing to agricultural operations. The situation of women in the highland, mountainous areas is more difficult than that of those living in the lowlands.
