Needs that only women official can hear
Why did necessities not reach everyone?
Only male officers were dispatched to
research needs at evacuation centers at
the initial stage
After the disaster, necessary relief supplies
often did not reach evacuation centers even
though many goods were sent from all over
Japan. One reason was that they lacked a
system to understand affected people’s
needs. One of the local governments in Miyagi
dispatched officials into the field, assessed
the needs of people in evacuation centers and
distributed necessities. Because of the
anticipated danger in the field, as well as the
fact that there was a general understanding
that “field officers are men” and “women
should not go on site,” all dispatched officials
were male.
Women and children who hesitate to speak
about their needs
Sometimes necessary relief goods were not
available, especially for women and children,
at evacuation centers. A female officer who
worked at the department close to the citizens
thought that women were reluctant to tell their
needs to the men, and proposed going into
the field. At first, her proposal was declined
because “there was no precedence of
sending women into the field and it was
dangerous,” but later female officers began to
be dispatched as she persuaded persons in
charge, one by one, and made a consensus
that it was the role of the department, which
protects citizens’ lives, to conduct hearings of
concerns and needs at evacuation centers.
Dispatching female officers helps in the
field
It is important to protect the security of
officials who are dispatched to the site in a
disaster when it is difficult to grasp the
situation. However, it is a responsibility for the
organization to take safety measures for its
staff, be they women or men. A female officer
said, “It is natural to go out to the field as a
public officer. It will have a harmful influence if
female officers do not participate in early
needs assessment.” This female officer’s
experience illustrates the importance of their
roles.