Hurricane Mitch: Women's Needs and Contributions

This report examines evidence from post-Mitch Central America and disasters in other parts of the world to identify the ways disasters affect women and to highlight women's participation in prevention, relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction efforts. This report is based on background papers prepared on the effects of Mitch and past disasters on women, and inputs from a technical meeting with government and NGO representatives of the four countries directly affected by Mitch -El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua- and Costa Rica, which suffered indirect impacts. The report was prepared for and presented at the meeting of the Consultative Group for the Reconstruction and Transformation of Central America which took place in Stockholm, Sweden on May 25th-27th, 1999.