In the summer months of 2022, monsoon rains 3-5 times as heavy as the national average prompted the worst-ever recorded floods in Pakistan, resulting in unprecedented damage across the country. 116 out of 154 districts were affected, submerging nearly a third of Pakistan’s land mass in water, with the hardest hit areas being in the largely underdeveloped south of the country. The disaster affected more than 33 million people, resulting in over 1,700 deaths, 12,900 injuries, and millions more displaced. Amidst vast financial and infrastructural losses, this catastrophe also sparked a major health crisis, as the incidence of communicable and non-communicable conditions sky-rocketted.
Pakistan is also challenged by a poor track record of gender equality. According to the 2021 UNDP Human Development Report, Pakistan ranks high on the Gender Inequality Index (GII) with an above average score of 0.534. Unsurprisingly, the issue of gender inequality is starkly reflected in health outcomes for women in Pakistan. Female infants and adult women alike have also been reported to suffer from higher mortality compared to their male counterparts due to neglect based on their gender, and the high incidence of gender-based violence disproportionately impacts women in a myriad of ways, while the healthcare system is ill-equipped to deal with such issues on policy, institutional, and community levels.
In health crises prompted by disasters like flooding, these pre-existing inequalities in healthcare systems magnify the disease burden faced by marginalized populations. Patriarchal cultural norms may add to this issue as in many of the affected regions, women have little control in decision-making, and cultural practices like purdah severely restrict women’s access to care. Numerous reports of abuse of women by both family members and strangers in the aftermath of the flood further underscore the additional burdens faced by women in the light of this disaster.
To study the disparity in health outcomes for men and women in the aftermath of the 2022 floods, I have designed a survey-based cross-sectional study. In the first part of the survey, both men and women will be interviewed about a wide range of physical and psychological symptoms experienced within three months of the flood. The number of symptoms experienced by each person will be added up to a total score, and average scores between men and women will be compared to establish whether a significant difference exists in health outcomes between male and female flood survivors. In the second part, women will be presented with a range of open-ended questions about their health experiences and gender dynamics in their communities in the aftermath of the flood to identify potential factors that may influence the health outcomes of women. The study is set to be conducted in rural settlements in the southwest of Punjab province. Not only were these some of the worst-affected areas by the 2022 floods but the deeply conservative customs of the local Baloch tribes may demonstrate more clearly the health inequities between genders. With the results of this study, I hope to provide a basis for aid and development efforts that seek to bridge the gender gap in current and future catastrophes and provide Pakistani women with an equal chance of surviving and thriving.




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