Role of gender and political connectedness after extreme events in coastal Bangladesh

Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to tropical cyclones and climate change impacts, with recurrent extreme events exacerbated by high population density, low resilience, and exposure in the coastal zone. While Bangladesh has developed notable disaster management practices, many interventions remain top-down and insufficiently people-centered, often neglecting gender priorities and affected by political connectedness and bureaucratic challenges. The study aims to examine how gender and local political engagement shape access to post-disaster relief and rehabilitation and influence disaster recovery in southwest coastal Bangladesh (Dacope Upazila). The research addresses two questions: (1) How do socio-economic and demographic factors affect disaster management, and how does it differ among respondents? (2) To what extent do gender and individual-level engagement in local politics contribute to disaster management? The purpose is to inform more equitable, gender-sensitive, and politically aware disaster management and climate adaptation practices.

Prior research links disaster management outcomes to political connectedness, bureaucratic complexity, and local power relations, which can heighten vulnerability and skew relief and rehabilitation (e.g., favoritism, nepotism, corruption). Socio-economic status, religion, caste/ethnicity, and identity-based biases affect relief distribution. Gender intersects with other social attributes; women in rural, resource-dependent contexts are especially vulnerable to climate impacts. Despite their potential leadership in disaster risk governance, women’s involvement in disaster risk reduction is often limited, and gender-based discrimination/violence can increase post-disaster. Women-headed households face elevated risks, underscoring the need for gender-sensitive emergency spaces and women’s empowerment in local politics. In Bangladesh, prior events (e.g., cyclones Sidr 2007, Aila 2009) revealed politicized favoritism in relief, mismanagement, and induced migration of under-supported victims. Calls exist for holistic, inclusive approaches and improved relief supply chain management. However, gaps remain on how gender involvement in local politics shapes local-level disaster management in Bangladesh, motivating this study.

Design: Mixed-method approach combining household surveys with qualitative inquiry (FGDs and KIIs). Study area: Sutarkhali Union, Dacope Upazila, Khulna District (southwest coastal Bangladesh), a cyclone- and surge-prone area affected severely by Cyclone Aila (2009). Four selected villages: Gunari, Sutarkhali, Nalian, and Kalabogi. Rationale: prolonged post-Aila inhuman conditions, remoteness, proximity to rivers, high vulnerability, and evidence of gender discrimination and political instability in recovery. Sampling and data collection: Total n=230 respondents (130 female, 100 male). Random sampling across villages: Nalian (n=40), Sutarkhali (n=65), Gunari (n=75), Kalabogi (n=50). Reconnaissance in Dec 2018; main face-to-face semi-structured surveys in Mar 2019 capturing socio-demographics, political involvement, and experiences with relief/rehabilitation post-Aila. Qualitative components: One focus group discussion (FGD) per village (4 FGDs total), each with 10 participants involved in aftermath rehabilitation; four purposively selected key informant interviews (KIIs) with individuals knowledgeable about disaster management. Variables: Demographic (age; gender; religion; education: illiterate/primary/secondary; marital status: married/widow/divorced; family type; family size). Socio-economic/political (occupation: farming/business/day labor/service; monthly income, expenditure, savings; earning members; receiving relief (yes/no); source of relief (GO/NGO/both); satisfaction with local government (yes/no); engagement in politics (yes/no); perceived nepotism in political leaders (yes/no); receiving help from political leaders (yes/no)). Analysis: Logistic regression modeling the likelihood of receiving relief (binary dependent variable), with predictors including age, gender, marital status, religion, education, household size, occupation, earning members, household income, and engagement in politics. Diagnostic checks: VIF=1.42; Pearson correlations; removal of highly collinear proxies; robust standard errors to address heteroscedasticity. Software: STATA 14, SPSS 22 for statistics; ArcMap 10.5 for mapping.

• Gender significantly influences receipt of post-disaster relief and rehabilitation: females, including widows and divorced women, receive more relief than males; however, older women are not prioritized for relief. - Socio-political connectedness strongly affects relief access irrespective of gender: households with close ties to local social/political leaders obtain more relief and aid; among male respondents, those engaged in local politics received relief post-disaster. - Economic role of gender: gender dynamics shape overall household economic strength and resilience. - Descriptive profile: 50% of respondents are aged 25–40; about 3.5% are 61–78. Approximately 56.5% are female. Marital status: ~68% married; 9.6% divorced. Religion: ~50% Muslim, 36.1% Hindu, 13.9% Christian. Average household size ~4. Education levels are low, with only about 5% reaching secondary. Occupations: 70% day labor, ~28% farming, ~2% business. Income/expenditure: average monthly income below 5000 BDT; average expenditure exceeds income, implying borrowing to meet daily needs. Relief access: about 55% received relief; political engagement is low (~5.7%), likely mostly among males. - Overall, local decision-making in disaster recovery remains dominated by socio-political connectedness, perpetuating inequities in relief distribution.

Findings directly address the research questions by demonstrating that socio-demographic and economic factors (gender, age, education, occupation, income, household size) and socio-political variables (political engagement, ties to leaders) influence access to post-disaster relief. Women overall were more likely to receive relief than men, especially widowed/divorced women, but older women were not prioritized, indicating nuanced gender effects and age-based disadvantage. Political connectedness emerged as a critical determinant of relief access irrespective of gender, reflecting the local power structures’ influence on disaster recovery. These results underscore that disaster management practices in coastal Bangladesh are not purely needs-based; they are mediated by gender norms and local political networks. Improving equity requires integrating gender-sensitive approaches and acknowledging/mitigating the role of local power dynamics in relief targeting and delivery.

The study contributes empirical evidence from coastal Bangladesh showing that both gender and political connectedness significantly shape access to post-disaster relief and rehabilitation. While women—particularly widowed and divorced—are more likely to receive aid than men, older women are overlooked, and political ties remain a powerful determinant of support. To strengthen equitable disaster management and resilience, the study highlights the need for women’s empowerment alongside stronger monitoring and evaluation of relief and rehabilitation programs to reduce biases arising from local socio-political power structures. Future efforts should ensure more transparent, accountable, and inclusive mechanisms for relief distribution and integrate gender-sensitive, community-centered practices into disaster risk reduction and recovery planning.