The Gender-Based Violence in Disaster Management: Intervention Proposals from the Volcanic Eruption in La Palma, Spain

The eruption in 2021 of the Tajogaite volcano in La Palma (Spain) generated a prolonged emergency where there were gender-based violence. This study is developed within the framework of the GENDER-IN project (Gender and disaster risk management: Comparative analysis and recommendations for intervention, PID2021-126195NB-I00) and aims to analyse the extent to which a gender perspective was incorporated into risk management during the volcanic eruption in La Palma, evaluating institutional and social responses to gender-based violence in this context. A qualitative methodology was employed, based on 39 individual interviews and 2 group interviews, with a total of 46 participants, including technical staff, decision-makers, and social activists. The interviews were analysed using MAXQDA software, using team coding to ensure the validity and comparability of the results. This technique made it possible to identify patterns in perceptions and actions on the ground during the different phases of the disaster. The results reveal a lack of preparedness and specific protocols to address gender-based violence in disaster contexts. The study highlights the urgent need to work on prevention, as well as to develop clear and specific protocols for managing gender-based violence in emergency situations. It also recommends greater inter-institutional coordination and continuous training of technical staff and decision-makers in gender perspective. The need to increase the budget, disseminate informational campaigns for the general population, and to have adequate evaluation mechanisms are other issues identified. Only through a more comprehensive and coherent response can victims be effectively protected in future disasters.