Elderly Women and Community Resilience

The ageing of the population significantly changes the global demographic dimension. As the threat of extreme natural events continues to increase globally, it is crucial to understand how different groups of people are affected by disasters. Older people are considered a vulnerable population needing care and support, especially in disasters. They are not included in decision-making, disaster risk reduction, recovery, and reconstruction. This study highlights an emerging gap in the role of older women in capacity building. Based on a literature review and questionnaire, this study examines how inclusive approaches strengthen disaster community resilience. The capacity to build a disaster-resilient society is strongly associated with social capital and enhances the ability to withstand the shocks caused by disasters. It is beneficial to empower older people to be active participants and to involve them in disaster risk reduction, which will increase community resilience to change the harmful consequences of negative perceptions and expectations of society. Building physical and social infrastructures that include older people can strengthen society's resilience to disasters and better prepare for the effects of global ageing.