Exploring the Experience and Well-being of Female Evacuees in Coastal Bangladesh through a Phenomenological Lens

Chowdhury, TJ; Arbon, P; Kako, M; Steenkamp, M; Hutton, A

Exploring the Experience and Well-being of Female Evacuees in Coastal Bangladesh through a Phenomenological Lens

Chowdhury, TJ Arbon, P Kako, M Steenkamp, M Hutton, A

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Publisher:: Cambridge University Press
Publication Type:: Conference Proceeding
Citation:: Exploring the Experience and Well-being of Female Evacuees in Coastal Bangladesh through a Phenomenological Lens, 2023, 38, (S1), pp. s116-s117
Issue Date:: 2023-07-13

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Chowdhury, TJ
dc.contributor.author	Arbon, P
dc.contributor.author	Kako, M
dc.contributor.author	Steenkamp, M
dc.contributor.author	Hutton, A
dc.date	2023-05-02
dc.date.accessioned	2024-05-31T01:58:45Z
dc.date.available	2024-05-31T01:58:45Z
dc.date.issued	2023-07-13
dc.identifier.citation	Exploring the Experience and Well-being of Female Evacuees in Coastal Bangladesh through a Phenomenological Lens, 2023, 38, (S1), pp. s116-s117
dc.identifier.issn	1049-023X
dc.identifier.issn	1945-1938
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/179363
dc.description.abstract	<jats:sec id="S1049023X23003126_as1037"><jats:title>Introduction:</jats:title><jats:p>Women in coastal Bangladesh face greater challenges while staying at evacuation centers during cyclone emergencies. This study explores the lived experience of women and their well-being as evacuees.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec id="S1049023X23003126_as1038"><jats:title>Method:</jats:title><jats:p>The research undertook a phenomenological approach to conduct in-depth interviews of nineteen women from three extremely vulnerable districts of coastal Bangladesh.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec id="S1049023X23003126_as1039"><jats:title>Results:</jats:title><jats:p>The interviews revealed that women experienced obstacles to maintaining hygiene, using the toilets and accessing privacy, and suffered distress as pregnant women, lactating mothers, and through menstruation, which affected them physically and hampered their mental health. Coming from a male-dominated socio-cultural background, female evacuees unaccompanied by male guardians experienced fear and uncertainty. Some participants recollected facing social pressure and overwhelming emotions as carers of children and elderlies, whereas some reconciled traumatizing incidents such as witnessing death. Such experiences led to anxiety, stress, and depression with either temporary or permanent trauma. Participants frequently mentioned panic attacks and stress-related physical issues such as heart palpitations, dizziness and light-headedness. However, spiritual beliefs and social bonds within the community enabled peace and optimism among the women. Findings highlight that certain factors determined women evacuees' experience of wellbeing. Social context of the women imposed burdens of responsibility and caused inaccessibility of resources to restore physical-mental wellbeing. The settings, infrastructures and environment of the evacuation centers were not women-friendly, which resulted in many negative experiences among the evacuees, greatly affecting their sense of wellness. However, participants could channel positive mindsets through prayers and spiritual faith. Women were able to access some resources and use these for their well-being through social bonding and connecting with the women within the shelters.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec id="S1049023X23003126_as1040"><jats:title>Conclusion:</jats:title><jats:p>Unconditional trust in a deity and sisterhood within communities have been two quintessential features of women, which played major roles in women’s experiences and molded their understandings of well-being in the cyclone shelters.</jats:p></jats:sec>
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Cambridge University Press
dc.relation.ispartof	Prehospital and Disaster Medicine
dc.relation.ispartof	2023
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1017/S1049023X23003126
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	11 Medical and Health Sciences
dc.subject.classification	32 Biomedical and clinical sciences
dc.subject.classification	42 Health sciences
dc.title	Exploring the Experience and Well-being of Female Evacuees in Coastal Bangladesh through a Phenomenological Lens
dc.type	Conference Proceeding
utslib.citation.volume	38
utslib.location.activity	Ireland
utslib.for	11 Medical and Health Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)/Institute For Sustainable Futures
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	false
dc.date.updated	2024-05-31T01:58:44Z
pubs.finish-date	2023-05-06
pubs.issue	S1
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.start-date	2023-05-02
pubs.volume	38
utslib.citation.issue	S1

Abstract:

Introduction:Women in coastal Bangladesh face greater challenges while staying at evacuation centers during cyclone emergencies. This study explores the lived experience of women and their well-being as evacuees.Method:The research undertook a phenomenological approach to conduct in-depth interviews of nineteen women from three extremely vulnerable districts of coastal Bangladesh.Results:The interviews revealed that women experienced obstacles to maintaining hygiene, using the toilets and accessing privacy, and suffered distress as pregnant women, lactating mothers, and through menstruation, which affected them physically and hampered their mental health. Coming from a male-dominated socio-cultural background, female evacuees unaccompanied by male guardians experienced fear and uncertainty. Some participants recollected facing social pressure and overwhelming emotions as carers of children and elderlies, whereas some reconciled traumatizing incidents such as witnessing death. Such experiences led to anxiety, stress, and depression with either temporary or permanent trauma. Participants frequently mentioned panic attacks and stress-related physical issues such as heart palpitations, dizziness and light-headedness. However, spiritual beliefs and social bonds within the community enabled peace and optimism among the women. Findings highlight that certain factors determined women evacuees' experience of wellbeing. Social context of the women imposed burdens of responsibility and caused inaccessibility of resources to restore physical-mental wellbeing. The settings, infrastructures and environment of the evacuation centers were not women-friendly, which resulted in many negative experiences among the evacuees, greatly affecting their sense of wellness. However, participants could channel positive mindsets through prayers and spiritual faith. Women were able to access some resources and use these for their well-being through social bonding and connecting with the women within the shelters.Conclusion:Unconditional trust in a deity and sisterhood within communities have been two quintessential features of women, which played major roles in women’s experiences and molded their understandings of well-being in the cyclone shelters.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/179363