The vulnerability of women and children, as well as the vital role women played, during and post the Northern Rivers 2022 flood has been highlighted by the recent University of Newcastle study on the disaster.
Following its release Tamara Smith MP, Greens Disaster Relief Spokesperson and Member for Ballina has called on the NSW Labor government to implement each of the recommendations after the study found women were increasingly subject to sexual assault and domestic violence after a natural disaster, and in the wake of the 2022 Northern Rivers floods.
The report highlights the failure of government agencies ‘to respond adequately to the crisis’.
‘In this environment, community members spontaneously worked together to save lives and to manage the aftermath of the floods. These actions can be characterised literally as the community “saving itself”,’ stated the report.
Need for triage
The report noted that the establishment of evacuation centres was ‘critical’ but due to a lack of triaging of people accessing them there were significant risks, particularly to women and children.
‘An absence of triaging to create discrete sections resulted in women and children sharing spaces with domestic violence perpetrators, sex offenders and those withdrawing from addictions,’ states the report.
‘Participants reported gender-based violence and sexual assaults resulting in pregnancies. The lack of access to pharmacies or contraception and inaccessible abortion services were noted as a problem.’
Ms Smith said ‘when I read this study, I felt sick to my stomach’.
‘Reading the accounts of women in my community experiencing domestic violence, abuse, and sexual assault in evacuation centres after the floods is shocking,’ she said.
‘The flood event that hit our communities was catastrophic and upended lives and plunged thousands of people into fear and uncertainty. Knowing that there were systemic failures from the government that contributed to the suffering of women and children in evacuation centres is horrendous and unacceptable.
‘I welcome the Premier’s commitment to urgent action in this space. I’m also pleased to see the police leading an investigation into safety protocols at mass evacuation centres,’ said Ms Smith.
Key role
While men were more visible during the rescue efforts women played a key role in the rescue and recovery efforts stated the report.
‘Women were prominent in their spontaneous organising, and the activation of a volunteer workforce that continued working for months after the crisis. The women-led organising was both sophisticated and valuable to the community.’
This has led to a focus on recommendations that ensure both funding and women’s involvement in all levels of disaster and post-disaster recovery.
Key recommendations:
- the safety needs of vulnerable populations, including women and children, at all phases of disaster preparedness and post disaster responses;
- establishing triage systems to identify and respond to specific gender needs, including the provision of separate rooms for women and children in evacuation centres;
- access to health services as a priority for vulnerable populations during and immediately after a disaster;
- engaging women from the community in all phases of disaster preparedness and post disaster responses;
- the use of Indigenous frameworks in collective, community-based trauma informed responses;
- collaboration with and acknowledgment of community-based responses to disasters particularly those led by women that are essential services for the community’s safety;
- funding of essential disaster related work undertaken by volunteer and community organisations; and
- inclusivity in providing opportunities for community members to both receive help and contribute to community healing activities.
Implement recommendations
‘The Greens are calling on the NSW Government to implement each and every one of the University of Newcastle study’s eight key recommendations,’ said Ms Smith.
‘That includes fully funding local recovery services and prioritising community-led solutions from women and First Nations peoples. The government must treat this issue seriously and ensure each and every point raised by this study is addressed.’
