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Overview and Issues
The tsunami resulted in a number
of different problems for women. In the immediate aftermath
of the tsunami it was evident that the specific needs of women
were not being considered. The temporary tsunami relief camps
that had been established lacked supplies of basic necessities
such as sanitary products. Toilet and bathroom facilities
at the camps were also inadequate in that they were communal,
i.e. for use by both men and women, and so failed to afford
female tsunami victims even a basic level of privacy. There
were no childbirth or childcare facilities, the later affecting
the women's ability to participate in the rehabilitation process
and to work to restore their livelihoods or seek viable livelihood
alternatives. Security was another issue at the camps, and
there have been reports of sexual harassment and rape. Many
women lost their husbands or at least one child during the
tsunami. As well as having to deal with the trauma of such
losses, husbands were often the families' main source of food
and income, and in many cases women face the burden of now
having to take on this role. A lack of livelihood options
or suitable employment opportunities in many of the tsunami-affected
areas is leading to a number of women relocating, with or
without their remaining children.
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