Gender-based emergency preparedness and awareness: empirical evidences from high-school students of Gilgit, Pakistan

Abstract

School emergency preparedness must be enhanced to save the lives of children and reduce adverse impacts on the school education system. The gender dimension of school-going children can help understand and assess the dynamics of vulnerabilities in school settings. This paper quantifies gender-based knowledge about emergency preparedness for a crisis. Gilgit city, a multi-hazard prone area in Northern Pakistan, was taken as a case study area. Slovin’s sampling method was employed to estimate the minimum required sample size. The data was collected using structured questionnaires, and a total of 486 samples were collected, with 238 girls and 248 boys. Emergency preparedness and awareness indicators, chosen through literature, were classified under four components, i.e. emergency circulation and evacuation, support and assistance, communication, and search and rescue. A five-point Likert scale was used to map the indicators, and an index-based approach was used to quantify emergency preparedness. Statistical tests were used to examine gender-based differences among emergency preparedness and its components. Results show that both genders exhibited low awareness, whereas a significant difference in communication, and search and rescue component. There is an immediate need to launch awareness campaigns and training in schools for effective disaster risk reduction.