Women and Children: The Double Dividend of Gender Equality

Each week I receive my Executive Momorandum from Executive Mom.  This week I am compelled to share and celebrate the work that Marisa Thalberg does.  As a fellow professional mom, I admire her commitment to her family, her career and herself.  This year, as part of the celebration of their 60^th year, UNICEF published The State of the World’s Children 2007 Women and Children: The Double Dividend of Gender Equality where it examines the discrimination and disempowerment women face throughout their lives – and outlines what must be done to eliminate gender discrimination and empower women and girls. It looks at the status of women today, discusses how gender equality will move all the Millennium Development Goals forward, and shows how investment in women’s rights will ultimately produce a double dividend: advancing the rights of both women and children.(source:  http://www.unicef.org/sowc07/report/report.php)    So why did I mention Marisa?? Well I was thrilled to discover as part of this report, that Marisa was one of seven women from around the world that UNICEF profiled.  To see these incredible and inspiring profiles go to:  http://www.unicef.org/sowc07/profiles/profiles.php 

Key Points of the Report

Gender equality and the well-being of children go hand in hand. Gender equality furthers the cause of child survival and development.Gender equality produces a double dividend: It benefits both women and children. Healthy, educated and empowered women have healthy, educated and confident daughters and sons. Gender equality will not only empower women to overcome poverty and live full and productive lives, but will better the lives of children, families and countries as well. Women’s equal rights and influence in the key decisions that shape their lives and those of children must be enhanced in three distinct arenas: the household, the workplace and the political sphere. A change for the better in any one of these realms influences women’s equality in the others, and has a profound and positive impact on child’s well-being and development.Gender equality is not only morally right, it is pivotal to human progress and sustainable development. Achieving Millennium Development Goal Number 3 – promoting gender equality and empowering women – will also contribute to achieving all the other goals, from reducing poverty and hunger to saving children’s lives, improving maternal health, ensuring universal education, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, and ensuring environmental sustainability.

For the full report go to:  http://www.unicef.org/sowc07/report/full_report.php

Prepare for Health Emergencies

Souce:  Big Medicine:

Read about the ways practitioners of Big Medicine can connect with vulnerable populations, including mothers with young children, hourly-wage workers and people with chronic illnesses such as diabetes and asthma, with resources to help them prepare for health emergencies…

Mothers with Children in the Household

Mothers are always preparing for the unexpected. Their planning skills are put to good use as they juggle daily priorities such as, getting children to school, helping with homework or spending quality time with family. While there are steps all mothers can take to prepare for a public health emergency, there are unique needs mothers with children in the household should consider.

APHA conducted a national preparedness survey of mothers with young children, Sixty-one percent reported they had done some emergency planning. Yet when asked about their current state of resources, 16% stated they had only enough food in the home for two or fewer days. Fewer than half (46%) reported enough food supply for three days to one week. Indeed, in the event of a long-term public health emergency, many families would run out of food quickly.

When asked about emergency evacuation plans, only 16% of mothers with young children had considered where they would go if they had to quickly leave their homes. Just fourteen percent of mothers stated they had established a place to meet if the family were evacuated or couldn’t return home, and only 13% had a plan for how they would move their children 50 miles or more away.

So what steps can mothers with young children take to prepare for a public health emergency? Following are several questions a mother can ask herself to help her get started:

Step 1: Have I taken an inventory of my home?

• Do I have at least a three-day supply of bottled water, non-perishable foods and essential medications set-aside for each member of my family?

Step 2: Have I taken an inventory of my community?

• Does my town or city have an emergency preparedness plan, including recommendations for evacuation routes, emergency shelters and the location of food banks?
• What are the evacuation procedures for my child’s daycare facility or school?
 

Step 3: Have I made a plan for communicating with my family if we are not together when an emergency happens?

• Have I identified a meeting place outside my home where all family members will meet if we are unable to return home?
• Have I taught my children an emergency phone number that they may call if they are unable to reach me?

Step 4: Do I have an emergency preparedness kit?

Mothers with children in the household should have two types of kits: one kit for quick evacuations and the other kit for staying in place for a long period of time.
 

Kit for quick evacuations:

This kit should be lightweight and easy to carry so you can “grab & go”
• Photo identification for yourself and your children
• Small amounts of food such as granola bars, bottled water or baby formula
• Important personal documents such as health records or child custody papers
• Small amounts of money in the form of cash or traveler’s checks
• List of important phone numbers and a cell phone or phone card
• Copies of keys to your home and car
• Medications and personal hygiene items
• Small toys or books for your children

Kit for ‘sheltering in place’:
This kit should be stored in a safe, dry place and accessed only during emergencies.
• Non-perishable food such as canned foods, cereal, protein or fruit bars and baby formula, if necessary
• Bottled water: each family member needs one gallon of water per day and should
keep at least a three-day supply on hand
• Essential medications such as insulin for diabetics or inhalers for children with asthma
• Essential supplies such as baby diapers, eye glasses and personal hygiene items
• First aid kit
• Manual can opener
• Battery-powered flashlight and radio with spare batteries
• Sealing, plastic bags for waterproofing
• Canned pet food

Local Food Banks, Community Pantries and Soup Kitchens

Food banks, community pantries and soup kitchens are an important source of nutritional foods for many low-income individuals and families. Their resources may be in even greater demand during a public health crisis if grocery stores are unable to keep shelves stocked or individuals are unable to purchase or afford food. The extent to which local food banks, community pantries and soup kitchens are prepared for emergencies may determine whether or not community residents have access to food.

APHA conducted in-depth interviews with charitable hunger-relief organizations across the nation and found that regional food distribution centers are well prepared
for a public health emergency. These centers have invested a significant amount of time and resources into preparing for disaster responsiveness and work closely with local, state and national agencies. Local food banks, which provide direct assistance to community residents, are less prepared for a public health crisis.

Very few have disaster response plans in place or are aware of local emergency response efforts.
 

So what steps can local food banks, community pantries and soup kitchens take to ensure a continued supply of food during a public health emergency? While preparedness needs will differ based on geographic area, number of people served, and available community resources, managers can assess emergency response readiness by answering the following questions:

Step 1: How safe is the building structure?

• Is the facility able to withstand extreme weather conditions?
• Is the structure sound and protected against water infiltration?
• Could we operate a secondary location if the building is damaged or totally destroyed?

Step 2:Can we still operate during an emergency?
 

• How long would supplies last if the demand for food distribution were doubled due to a disaster?
• Do our donors and suppliers have emergency response plans in place to continue food and grocery deliveries?
• Is there a generator or backup power supply to maintain refrigeration, lighting, and security?
• Is the food supply adequate to meet basic nutritional needs?

Step 3:How long can we operate during a crisis?

• What quantity of food would we need to remain operational?
• What is the minimum number of staff members necessary to remain operational?
Do we rely upon volunteers?
• How will we communicate with clients and the local community about imminent
closings or re-openings?
• How will we maintain communication with suppliers?
• Have we identified alternative suppliers in the event main suppliers are non-operational?
 

Step 4:Have I assessed staff and infrastructure needs?
• Knowing a disaster is imminent, staff needs should be considered:
- Should staff be paid early if a disaster disrupts the normal pay cycle?
- How can I ensure that staff has enough time off to prepare their own homes for
a disaster?
• Communications systems:
- Do we have at least one non-electric land telephone that will remain operational
even if power is out?
- Do we have emergency and staff contact numbers in a safe place and multiple copies stored in off-site locations?
- Have we established a “phone-tree” to ensure communication during a crisis?
• Are we on the utility company’s priority list to restore power in case of an emergency?
• Have we developed relationships and planned response efforts with local law enforcement to prevent possible looting?
• Have we developed relationships and planned response efforts with local grocery stores to increase food donations during an emergency?
• Do we have multiple copies of important records such as insurance policies stored at off-site locations?
• Do we have a small amount of petty cash in case credit and computer transactions
are not working?

Other resources:
http://www.cafoodbanks.org/disaster.htm

Hourly-Wage Workers

Preparing for a public health emergency can be particularly difficult for hourly wage
workers, especially those who earn less than $30,000 per year. These individuals are less likely to be able to provide for themselves or their families if their place of employment shuts down because of a public health emergency.

A recent preparedness poll conducted by APHA found of the 71% of employers who stated they would encourage employees to stay home during a national public health crisis, only 18% would continue to pay all employees if there were an interruption in operations for a period of two months. What’s more, 29% of hourly-wage workers responded they are currently uncertain if they would continue to be paid.

It is not surprising that low hourly-wage earners have little or no money saved for a public health emergency. Only 15% report they have any dollars set aside for such an event. In addition, few people who earn low hourly wages report any emergency resources for a disaster. For example, only 31% of these same workers report having
stocked up on non-perishable foods for a public health emergency, only 22% report having sufficient amounts of water set aside to last for three days, and more than three-quarters (77%) of low hourly-wage earners state they are unprepared for an emergency because they do not have money to spend on things they may never use.
 

So what steps can hourly-wage workers take to prepare for a public health emergency? Following are several questions an hourly-wage worker can ask him or herself to help them get started:

Step 1: Do I know whether my employer has emergency response procedures in place?
 

• Do I know how my employer will communicate with me during an emergency?
• If my workplace closed for an extended period of time, would my employer allow me to continue working at an alternate location, if possible?

Step 2:Do I have any money saved in case I am unable to work for an extended period of time?
 

• Can I save just $10 out of every paycheck for an emergency?
• Do I have a credit card with some available funds for an emergency?
 

Step 3: If I can continue working, but my normal means of transportation is unavailable, do I have another way to travel to work?
 

• Can I organize a plan to carpool with a co-worker in case public transportation
is unavailable during an emergency?

Following is an action plan hourly-wage earners can implement to prepare for an emergency:
1. Compile a list of contact numbers for your supervisor and co-workers in order to obtain information in case of an emergency.
2. If you own a car, store a few gallons of gas in a safe place to keep your car fueled for transportation in the event of a gas shortage.
3. Begin saving a small amount of money – even just $10 per paycheck. Keep it on hand as cash or travelers checks and only access it in case of an emergency.
4. Call your local department of health to find out about emergency response plans and what kinds of actions you can take in your community to prepare for a disaster.

Other resources:
Federal Emergency Management Agency, http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/

Schools Serving Children in Kindergarten through 12th Grade

Ensuring that children are safe when they are in schools is one of the most important goals for any teacher or administrator. However, the challenge of a comprehensive emergency response plan for schools are unique, given preparedness requires coordination with diverse groups such as, parents, children and law enforcement officials.

A preparedness poll conducted by APHA found that in light of recent national emergencies, including the September 11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina, 94% of school districts have emergency response plans in place, but only 50% have a plan for an infectious disease epidemic. This lack of preparedness is a grave concern, given a serious infectious disease could spread rapidly through schools and communities.

Since ninety-one percent of most school administrators rate preparing for a public health emergency as a priority, the primary obstacles for emergency preparedness among schools appear to be costs and lack of resources. Only 6% of surveyed schools report sufficient funding to make substantial investments in student health and safety, while 66% report their budgets are ‘tight’ or in ‘crisis.’

In spite of these barriers, most schools do at least have some emergency procedures in place. Of the schools surveyed, 64% report they have a communication plan for contacting students and staff family members, 59% have recent photos of students, and 84% stated they have procedures in place to evacuate students in cases of immediate threat. However, in cases where ‘sheltering in place’ may be necessary, only 18% of school administrators state they have enough drinking water to support the school population for at least three days.

So what steps can school administrators and teachers take to assess their school’s
level of preparedness? Following are a series of questions designed to assess emergency preparedness for unexpected or ongoing public health crises:

How to prepare for the first 24 hours of a public health crisis:

Step 1: Have you prepared safety drills for your school?

• Do students and faculty know the appropriate building evacuation route and have they practiced evacuating?
• Have students and faculty practiced how to “shelter in place”?

Step 2:Have emergency communication plans with local authorities been clearly established?
 

Step 3: Is your school’s emergency response plan appropriate for your geographic region?
• Is your school’s plan adaptive to different types of emergencies?

Step 4: Have parents of students been educated about emergency evacuation procedures?

• Are parents aware of how to reunite with their children if students are evacuated from school grounds?
• Have parents been taught appropriate response behaviors to prevent hysteria among the students, particularly younger children?
• Are communication systems in place to advise parents of children’s well-being in the event students need to “shelter in place”?

How to prepare for an ongoing public health crisis:
 

Step 1: Develop a plan for distance learning if schools are closed for an indefinite period of time.
• Determine how students will receive instruction materials during an indefinite school closure.
• Determine how communication between students and teachers will be established
during an indefinite school closure.
 

Step 2: Evaluate the school curriculum to identify “teachable” moments related to the ongoing crisis.
 

Step 3: Return to instruction as soon as possible, and monitor students’ emotional well-being.
 

Strategies for Emergency Response Plans:
1. Make sure all relevant stakeholders are aware of emergency response procedures.
Provide user-friendly plans in writing to students, parents, teachers and local authorities, including the police and fire departments.
2. Make emergency preparedness a living, breathing process. Hold meetings with parents and faculty to discuss procedures and appropriate responses. And practice emergency response drills with students. These actions will help the community feel empowered, rather than fearful.
3. Establish a standing committee of community leaders that continually review and revise emergency response plans.
 

Other resources:
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/school/schoolchecklist.html
http://www.healthyschools.org
http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/emergencyplan/index.html
http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/emergencyplan/crisisplanning.pdf

Individuals with Chronic Health Care Needs

While it is important for everyone to prepare for a public health emergency, individuals with chronic illnesses must consider how a public health crisis might affect their well-being. Chronic health conditions such as, diabetes, cancer, asthma and high blood pressure often require routine medical treatments or medication on a daily basis.
 

A preparedness poll conducted by the American Public Health Association found that while 90% of adults with chronic medical conditions take medication a few times per week, only 19% have a one-month supply on hand in case pharmacies close during a national crisis. Further, 38% stated they would run out of medication in one week or less. This is of great concern given almost 4 out of 10 of those with chronic illnesses reported it would be a ‘very serious problem’ if drug stores and pharmacies closed during a public health emergency.

Of individuals with chronic illnesses that need to visit health care facilities on a regular basis for treatments such as, kidney dialysis, 49% stated it would be a ‘very serious problem’ if doctors’ offices, hospitals and health clinics closed.

Low levels of preparedness among individuals with chronic health needs could present a real challenge if a public health disaster or emergency strikes. Forty-six percent of the adults with chronic illnesses stated they have spent only one hour or less preparing for an emergency and 82% reported they do not wear any type of medical identification to alert health care workers to their conditions.
 

So what steps should individuals with chronic illnesses take to prepare for a public health emergency? Following are a series of questions that can be answered to help create a plan that fits with their unique health care needs:

Step 1: Do you have an emergency supply of essential medications in the event you can’t get them from a pharmacy?
• How long would your emergency supply last?
• How often do you refresh your supply to avoid expiration?
• If it is not possible to keep an emergency supply, have you talked to your doctor or pharmacist about what you can do to prepare?

Step 2:Have you identified a back-up treatment facilit y in the event your normal place of care is closed?
• Have you asked your health care provider where you could go if you could not access your regular care?
• Do you have recent copies of your health care records, including a current list of medications and treatment information?
• Do you wear a medical identification bracelet or necklace to alert health care workers about your health condition?

Step 3: If you are unable to transport yourself out of your home, have you devised an evacuation plan based on your unique needs?
• Have you provided your local fire department with your home address and informed them that you would need assistance during an evacuation?
• Are your neighbors aware that you would need assistance in the event of an emergency evacuation?

Individuals living with chronic illnesses can prepare an emergency kit to meet their unique preparedness needs. Below is a list of suggested contents:

Emergency Kit Contents:
Try to keep the kit as lightweight as possible in case you need to “grab & go.”
• At least a one-month supply of medication
• Medical supplies such as, glucose tests or a blood pressure cuff to monitor your condition
• Copies of insurance cards and personal identification
• Copies of recent medical records
• Thermometer
• Surgical mask
• Self-care manual for your specific condition, such as how to handle chemotherapy side effects during a disaster2
• Self-care products such as, hand warmers for individuals with arthritis

Other resources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/chronic.asp

The Fire

I recently entered an essay about the Salem Fire Department for a contest run by Firedog.  I was compelled to write the essay because I lost my home in a fire two years ago and it was these firefighters who responded that night.  This month Firedog will choose 10 finalists, post the stories on their website and have America vote for their favorite.  For every vote cast, a $1.00 donation is given to that firehouse.  This is in addition to the $20,000 they get by being selected as one of the top 10.  The first place winner is awarded the grand prize of $100,000.  Once they select the top 10, I will post my essay.  Until then, to give you some history, I have republished my column below about the night of the fire.

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It’s probably about 2 a.m., the day after tax day and I am watching a fire envelope not one but two houses. There are several people standing around with looks of concern and fear on their faces. It isn’t their house on fire but it may be.

 

This has been this close-knit neighborhood’s nightmare for generations. The houses built so close together. Winds blowing off the ocean. Flames licking at the side of two houses. Will it spread? Is this the fire that will wipe out the entire street…neighborhood?

 

I am beyond fear at this point. I have seen and heard of fires such as these many times before. I was a Disaster Action Team Member with the Red Cross for several years. My father is a Lieutenant on the Saint John Fire Department in Canada.

 

I recall red stickers on our windows to tell fire fighters where the bedrooms were, learning to crawl on our knees under the “smoke” and checking doors for heat before opening them. I recall seeing my dad three days before the evening of this fire.I begin thinking about the next day and how tired I will be at all of my meetings if I don’t get some rest. It is April and I am cold standing outside. I go inside and can’t warm up.

 

Someone investigating the fire wants to ask me questions. I feel like a suspect of a crime and I am nervous. I am not sure suddenly if what I said I witnessed is the exact truth. It all happened so fast.“There was an explosion…not a huge explosion, but a bang”, I say. “Then the flames raced up the side of the houses.”“It was between the houses…no I don’t know what could of started it…no I don’t know what the explosion/bang could be…”I am still cold.Yes, I am beyond fear at this point. I am not worried whether it will be my house next or whether this fire will spread. The house on fire is mine. The irony of it all is not lost on me.The Red Cross arrives.“Oh my…one of our own volunteers”, they realize.$75.00 they give me for food. Suddenly the work that I had done for 10 years with them seemed so inadequate now that I realized how much is lost by a family in a disaster and how little of that a bag of toiletries and $75.00 would cover.

 

Nonetheless, I appreciated that they were there for me. But then I am back to reality and next steps.

 

I am a single mom with a dog. Nobody rents to people with dogs. My family is hundreds of miles away. What will I do with $75.00? I am homeless with a little girl who just turned four the week before and a dog.

 

I am not alone however. Ten other people lost the place they called home that night.Over a decade of disaster management experience did and did not prepare me for this. Certainly, I responded quickly and decisively. (Once I realized it wasn’t drunk teenagers banging outside my house). It was a multifamily house and there was another mom with 2 boys on the top two floors. Within seconds, I and a neighbor raced up to get them out of the house.

 

I immediately began thinking of the next days schedule and an upcoming business trip and how would I go about cancelling the next day’s meetings and at the same time borrowing clothes for the following week’s trip. Where would we live? Begin the process with the insurance company. (Adjusters are both a blessing and curse) Survive. Focus.I am not the first person in disaster management to endure a personal disaster. I am grateful it wasn’t happening to me at the same time as the community around me.

 

Fate waited to deal me that blow a year later with the floods that hit the Northeast in May 2006. One disaster a year. Not bad! I am obviously not the only person to lose their home in a fire or disaster. I am grateful I had a great deal more to rely on than most…friends, colleagues, a great career and a steady paycheck.But I learned something. We are all expected to pick up the pieces on our own. Granted, I received tremendous support. Fundraisers by colleagues and friends. My daughter’s caregivers opened their home to us. Yet, the recovery is long.

 

People expect you to be back on your feet within days or a few weeks at most. But it was more than a year before the magnitude of the loss hit me. The cumulative financial impact.

 

Watching my daughter still mourn the loss of her “babies” in that fire. Looking for something that I just know I have and then realizing that, of course, I don’t.

 

Even for those of us where life is relished and opportunity embraced, the recovery is long. It reinforces how important it is that vulnerable populations not be forgotten in disaster and that women and children are often part of that group.

 

It also reminds me how so many people think the disaster is over once the media finds something else to cover. Obvious human suffering is newsworthy. The quiet suffering and private tears are not.

 

Disasters large and small have all the same characteristics by those impacted by them. The fire at my house made the front page of the newspaper the next day. The day after that it was forgotten by most.

 

For us, the work was just beginning.