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Official Website administered by the State Treasurer and Receiver General of Massachusetts

Deborah B. Goldberg

Program under Massachusetts State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg

Women At Increased Risk During Natural Disasters

August 29, 2017

Bustle // Madhuri Sathish

Hurricane Harvey (and other natural disasters alike) was incredibly dangerous for all in its path, but women disproportionately face particularly dangerous ramifications. A 2010 study from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research highlighted the ways in which women are more at risk: women are more likely to live in poverty, may be pregnant or recovering from childbirth, are more likely to be part of the elderly population, and see a greater rate of domestic and sexual violence in the aftermath of a natural disaster.