Women’s History Month— Lessons from the Past: Bringing Forward Survivor-Centered Disaster Response Solutions

Natural disasters and other crises increase the risk of violence to women and girls and exacerbate gender-based abuse and violence that are already occurring. In the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, stories emerged of women and girls who experienced sexual violence during and after the crisis. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), along with other organizations, developed an anonymous database for self-reported sexual assaults that showed that sexual assault survivors were primarily women and girls. Additionally, a survey conducted by NSVRC found that shelters, specifically emergency evacuation shelters, were the most common site of reported sexual violence after hurricanes Katrina and Rita.?

Survivor-Centered Equity and Inclusion Means Better Preparation and Response?

History has shown — most recently during the COVID-19 pandemic — that we have not learned from Katrina, Rita, and other past storms. Local communities and service programs struggled to care for survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) during the pandemic due to lack of resources and difficulty keeping services open and available. Further, programs and organizations with more resources to maintain services did not always have staff trained in trauma-informed approaches to adequately respond to GBV survivors and their complex needs. As a result of the unique impact and unmet needs of survivors in past natural and public health disasters, the 2023 National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence elevated the importance of understanding the intersection between GBV and disaster response to improve system responses.?

Unfortunately, crises such as natural disasters, public health emergencies, and conflict are a reality of modern life. It is not too late to learn from the past and adapt our systems and communities to be more prepared to support GBV survivors and other vulnerable and marginalized populations. How can communities integrate the needs of GBV survivors into their preparedness plans before another disaster or public health emergency occurs? Equitable and holistic disaster preparedness response plans are critical to violence prevention.?

Recommended Practices for Communities to Enhance Preparation and Response Systems for GBV Survivors:

Practices that can strengthen response systems and communities include:?

• Regularly reviewing disaster-related policies and protocols to ensure effective integration of VSPs and other key partner organizations that serve survivors
• Using clear, non-technical language in planning documents accessible to all constituents and partners?
• Creating and maintaining partnerships between public health departments, continuums of care,? victim service providers, and survivors with lived experience to ensure preparedness planning includes GBV survivor response strategies?
• Conducting local assessments before a crisis hits, to determine where inequities exist in your community
• Ensuring training for emergency management and disaster response front-line staff includes GBV topic and? trauma-informed response strategies
• Partnering with state domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking coalitions and task forces to incorporate recommended practice andongoing training and technical assistance