These guidelines have been formulated to assist governments, the non-state sector and civil society in dealing with women who have been affected by disasters. They are meant to be practical, easy to follow steps that need to be taken in responding to women’s concerns in post-disaster situations. They have been categorized into immediate, midterm and long term responses. However, there could be overlap in the responses and this factor needs to be taken into consideration in implementing the guidelines. The guidelines draw from reports of countries that were affected by the December 2004 tsunami: Thailand, Aceh, India, Sri Lanka and the earthquake in northern Pakistan in October 2005.
