Flood stricken women find expression through dialogue at Valley View Child and Youth Care Centre, Durban, KZN Province

It is well reported that women and children are the hardest hit during a natural disaster. A number of studies analysing the impact of disasters have revealed that women and children have greater risks to their survival and recovery in the aftermath of natural disasters, KwaZulu-Natal province has proven to be no exception to this.

It is for this reason that the Deputy Minister of Social Development, Mme Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, will on Monday, August 29, engage in the form of a dialogue, with women who in April this year, were harshly affected by heavy weather conditions which led to disastrous floods across KwaZulu-Natal Province. As a result, the South African Government declared a National State of Disaster, due to severity of the floods and mudslides that wreaked havoc in the province.

To share their plight and pain, these women will during the dialogue find resonance to express themselves in the context of their experience and hardship, but most importantly, be part of this year Women’s Month commemoration under the theme; “Women’s Socio-Economic Rights and Empowerment, building back better for women’s resilience.”

The dialogues also aim to emphasise that women are not just a vulnerable group, but they are also agents of change.

Source: Government of South Africa