Assessing the Gender Dimensions of Women’s Risk Perception on Volcanic Disasters Towards A Gender-Responsive Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) in San Nicolas, Batangas — The Taal Volcano Case

Abstract

Situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines is a hotspot for seismic and volcanic activities with its numerous active volcanoes — one among them being the Taal Volcano, which continuously poses a threat to the safety of communities such as in rural San Nicolas, Batangas. Bearing the brunt of such disasters are women, often disproportionately affected given the gender-related disadvantages that heighten their exposure and vulnerability. As such, it is crucial to emphasize their concrete realities, to address the existing gendered inequalities that exacerbate them, and to highlight their role and visibility in disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM). Anchored on Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), gender differences in risk perception, and intersectionality, this study aims to assess the gender dimensions of the risk perception of women from the lakeshore communities of San Nicolas, Batangas on the Taal Volcano’s impending threat towards a more inclusive and gender-responsive local DRRM. Findings conclude that the women’s volcanic risk perception is heavily influenced by their domestic responsibilities and the household division of labor. Furthermore, their readiness and capacity to respond is characterized by their economic dependence and depravity on opportunities as they are tied to care work. The women are also being limited by their perceived physical challenges and internalized stereotypes, and while their role in decision-making within the household is increasingly given importance, they remain invisible in the local DRRM processes and disaster governance. With this, this study moves to promote strategies that recognize beyond their vulnerabilities and their homemaker status, empower them to fill the empty seats, and institutionalize inclusion in connection to the broader calls on gender equality in and beyond disasters.