Sudha Arlikatti

Feminist scholarship links vulnerability to natural hazards becoming disasters that disproportionately affect women. Recent research regarding global Disaster Risk Reduction strategies appear to disregard social norms that promote male involvement in risky disaster-related activities, increasing disaster losses. Recent technological advances, particularly in Artificial Intelligence (AI), have garnered academic attention due to their disruptive nature. This study's transformative lens of AI examines its ability to improve women's civic engagement in Disaster Risk Management (DRM) to reduce vulnerability and change restrictive social norms that predispose men to disaster risk. This study uses mixed approaches. VOS software was used for a bibliometric analysis of 18,692 Scopus articles along with adoption of the socio-ecological model to improve a previous framework to answer two study questions. The findings reveal that bidirectional processes at micro, meso, and macro levels contribute to disaster outcomes like vulnerability, and shape disaster related activities. These dynamics limit women's civic engagement, while social norms push men to engage in risky disaster roles. The findings indicate that there is a missing direct thematic link between gender and vulnerability across the analyzed data. Despite its limits in disaster study, AI is vital for vulnerability assessment, social vulnerability analysis, GIS, and emergency management. This research highlights the influence of community gender dynamics on DRMt. AI-enabled technologies, like blockchain, can potentially improve women's civic engagement and shift obstructive norms through RAN-based educational initiatives aimed at men. The study utilizes findings to propose future policy and research directions.

The contribution of women to the GDP of India is underestimated due to either their participation in informal livelihood sectors that are not captured through traditional data collection methods or their exclusion from primary livelihood sectors. The fisheries sector in Alappad Panchayat of Kerala, is no exception to this concern, as it is a very male-dominated sector. To address this issue, the UN has emphasized the need for development plans that prioritize women's inclusivity to accelerate the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 5 of the 2030 Agenda. This study aims to understand, through a qualitative approach, the reasons behind the persistent poverty in the community and the potential for integrating women into the fisheries ecosystem. The study subsequently proposes a hybrid structure, combining a server and blockchain nodes, to create a fish trade platform that can be managed by women in marginalized communities. It leverages the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) framework to understand influential factors necessary for a socio-cultural shift towards eradicating gender disparities. The platform is made available through mobile applications for fishermen and customers, offering a transparent value chain within a fair and competitive fish market. The study directly contributes to the United Nations' 2030 Agenda by aligning its findings with SDG 5 (women's empowerment) and SDG 8 (providing decent jobs).