Gender, households, and decision‐making for wildfire safety

Abstract

This paper considers the impact of gendered norms on decision-making for wildfire preparation and response at the household level. Focusing on Australia, it provides a theoretical thematic analysis of data acquired in 107 interviews with residents of nine different localities. It builds on existing research on gender and disaster, as well as on decision-making and wildfires, and analyses the narratives that centre on 'split' households plans (where a male partner plans to stay and a female partner plans to evacuate) and disagreements within heterosexual couples as to an appropriate wildfire safety plan. The study finds that gender inequality and differences in gendered expectations are likely to create difficult conditions for negotiation between members of a heterosexual couple when there is disagreement over a plan and that this may contribute to risky decision-making practices and outcomes. The paper reiterates, therefore, the importance of taking into account the social construction of gender in wildfire research and policy.

A Review of Studies on Participatory Early Warning Systems (P-EWS): Pathways to Support Citizen Science Initiatives

“…The impact of gendered norms on decision-making in EWS needs to be considered in the design of citizen initiatives. Important findings about EWS performance were reported during floods in Indonesia (Mulyasari and Shaw, 2013), wildfire in Australia (Tyler and Fairbrother, 2018) and landslides in Colombia (Coles and Quintero-Angel, 2018).…”

Modelo conceitual de sistema de alerta e de gestão de riscos e desastres associados a incêndios florestais e desafios para políticas públicas no Brasil

“…os autores aqui sugerem que aperfeiçoar esse sistema com cinco eixos estruturantes pode subsidiar ações de redução de risco de desastres associados a incêndios florestais. os aspectos de educação, comunicação e preparação para evacuação em incêndios têm sido analisados em alguns estudos, que destacaram as capacidades diferenciadas das comunidades em se prepararem (Paveglio, carroll & Jakes, 2010), considerando as relações de gênero e suas implicações na tomada de decisão (Tyler & Fairbrother, 2018), e os desafios de implementar sistemas de alerta de incêndios (Edgeley & Paveglio, 2016). Dentre esses desafios está o processo de comunicação de risco.…”

Applying a Gendered Lens to the Stay and Defend or Leave Early Approach to Bushfire Safety

“…Indeed, the gendered language of the CFA Act (1944) – referring to fire‐fighters as only as ‘he’ – was raised as early as 1945, with the clarification from the CFA's Chief Rural Officer that women could still assist brigades but could not be formal members (Gippsland Times ). The notion that bushfire fighting – at both civilian and brigade levels – is ‘men's business’ was still evident in rural towns in the 1990s (Poiner ) and can still be found today (Tyler and Fairbrother ; M. Tyler & P. Fairbrother, ). It is within this framework that formal firefighting, and the civilian equivalent of stay and defend, are both valorised and masculinised, with evacuation feminised and culturally constructed as ‘weak’ (Griffiths ; Tyler and Fairbrother ).…”

“…). It has been acknowledged in research and reports that these gendered expectations are likely to affect household decision‐making for bushfire safety as well as the formal make up of rural fire brigades in Australia (Eriksen ; Proudley ; Tyler and Fairbrother ; M. Tyler & P. Fairbrother, ). There has also been critical research on gender inequality, masculinity, and women's experiences of men's violence in the aftermath of bushfires (Parkinson ; Parkinson and Zara ).…”

“…Some were left traumatised by feeling trapped in houses facing the fire‐front against their will, and others eventually withdrew their stories from the final research report for fear of repercussions from either the community or from their own partners. M. Tyler and P. Fairbrother () report, similarly, that there is significant conflict among many heterosexual couples in bushfire prone areas about the best course of action to take, with women often experiencing frustration in trying to convince male partners to adopt early evacuation. This household level dialogue does not take place outside the greater cultural context in which women's knowledge of bushfire is systematically devalued and staying to defend is valourised along with norms of rural, hegemonic masculinity.…”