Women and Cyclone

In this poignant video, three women impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 share their stories. This video was produced by E NOHO with support from Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research and Te Pū Oranga Whenua. This research was funded by the Resilience to Nature’s Challenge National Science Challenge.

About the research:

As natural disasters become more frequent, the role of women in recovery needs to be recognised and adequately supported. Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research senior researcher Dr Suzanne Vallance has spent over 15 years researching disaster recovery, and says she often noticed recoveries were gendered. 

This sparked Suzanne’s research to look at the role of women in two disasters: the recent devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle (February 2023) and the Kaikōura earthquake (November 2016). In her work, Suzanne interviewed eight wāhine / women who undertook, and are still undertaking, recovery work from these disasters on behalf of their communities. 

“It was heartbreaking to hear their stories,” says Suzanne.  “But what stood out to me was that their recovery work is not as visible as repaired bridges and new roads, but their restoration of ‘soft infrastructure’ must be better supported.”