Impacts of Decision-Making Processes, Peace, and Conflict on Children’s and Women’s Lives in Disaster Processes

Children and women have gradually come forward in the discussions. This can be observed in UN regulations, acts, and conferences. This can also be observed in disaster-specific organization activities (Yokohama, Hyogo, and Sendai Frameworks are examples).

I will discuss the importance of peace and conflict issues concerning disasters through different experiences. These examples will be explored as the source and/or the results of disasters through interwoven examples from World Wars and contemporary examples. COVID-19 and ongoing attacks in Gazza and Yemen, the imposed burden of refugee crises, and recent experiences of Türkiye in Kahramanmaraş earthquakes will be some of them.

The study will explore how disasters affect women's and children's health and well-being in Africa, Asia, and globally. The focus will be on power relations and reflections on children's and women's lives during disaster processes. The argument will be based on decision-making processes. Namely: Arnstein’s decision-making levels, gaps between international regulations and local applications, and bias in applications at different levels (International, national, and local). I will discuss the importance of participatory, inclusive, transparent, and responsive processes. I will recommend ways to promote and implement disaster prevention, mitigation, response, and recovery, guided by equity and human rights principles.