Contingency programs against disasters and calamities must incorporate measures to protect women, especially those with reproductive health risks, and children, a professor from the University of the Philippines-Diliman said.

During a recent seminar conducted by the Department of Science and Technology (DoST), Dr. Carolyn Sobritchea said, “There must be specific affirmative action services for vulnerable groups like pregnant,  lactating women, the elderly, and those with disability.”

She noted that in 2009, the government and other non-government organizations reported that three out of seven evacuation centers had no separate toilets for males and females, no toilet locks, and no private bathing facilities.

“There were even reports of child abuse, sexual harassment, violence and pregnancy-related medical problems in some of the 172 communities in Luzon,” said Sobritchea.

However, this problem is not only evident in the country, but in other countries as well.

During the Kobe earthquake in 1992, 58 percent of the 6,402 fatalities were women. Most of these women lived alone. Cases of abuse in evacuation areas were also reported.

In 2004, a tsunami hit a number of Asian countries. Reports showed that majority of those who died and not rescued were women.

Those who analyzed the result of the disaster blamed cultural and religious beliefs preventing women to learn how to swim.