Voices Unheard: Exploring the Challenges & Frustrations of Males in Post-Flood Reconstruction Efforts in Pishin

Abstract

The focus of most disaster writings is on the helplessness of the women and the children, the position of men in patriarchal societies such as Pakistan have not been addressed adequately. The paper reviews the male victims of the 2022 Pishin floods in Balochistan process of recovery following the floods and highlights the loss of economic resources and livelihood, mental health issues and the lack of care and compassion by the institutions. A qualitative methodology was used to collect two sets of data that comprised of in-depth interview of seven, purposely selected, male participants (farmers, shopkeepers, and professionals), on-the-field observations conducted in flood-affected villages, and institutional responses analyzed through application of thematic analysis. The outcomes include severe economic depression in which the income is largely used to pay off debts leading to poverty in the subsequent generation and child labor and high degree of psychological distress, including untreated PTSD and social isolation which are encouraged by cultural perceptions of masculinity and the seeking of help. Institutional failures were in the form of corrupted distribution of aid, accumulation of debts approximately of PKR 1.8 million, recovery policies that failed to consider the specific needs of men, and coping strategies that were founded primarily on religious orientations. This study indicates the significance of gender sensitive disaster recovery planning in response to the vulnerability of men including being transparent in their help programs, community based mental health programs and non-discriminatory economic rehabilitation programs.