Disaster Denies Shelter To 80 Percent Of Adolescent Girls


Disaster Denies Shelter To 80 Percent Of Adolescent Girls

Bangalore: In India, though we are in the 21st century, women are still vulnerable to the tortures meted out in the society. According to the latest report ‘The State of the Girl Child India,’ released by Plan International, almost 80 percent adolescent girls from Indian states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh revealed that disaster aftermath have an adverse impact on their safety. Girls  feel unsafe in the relief camps or the shelter they are being provided as it lacks privacy and dignity, reports The Times of India.

One-third of the girls further stated that gender bias are also seen in terms of access to food across all four states, with the cases being more serious in Bihar, UP and Andhra Pradesh as compared to Rajasthan.

Youths from both genders opined that young girls are mostly targeted during the times of disasters due to the lack of sanitation facilities, which at times force them to deal with their privacy issues.

However, nearly 45-58 percent young girls had to confront with privacy issues after disaster. Girls in Rajasthan, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh mostly fear of being sold off, married young or trafficked after a disaster, according to the report.

Plan International head Ellen Margrethe Loj said, "There's growing need to look at disasters from a development perspective. Disasters can have devastating effect on communities and can significantly set back development efforts," reports TOI

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