Jamaica: Macro-Socio-Economic and Environmental Assessment of ...

unable to make the most of the strengths of their communities in order to improve their
conditions.
4. Vulnerability of Women and Children
In 2002, approximately 45.5 per cent of the households surveyed reported females as the head of
household. Female-headed households were highest in the KMA (50.8 per cent) followed by
Other Towns (45.6 per cent) and lowest in the Rural Areas (40.1 per cent). As so often is the
case, in times of crisis, such as natural disasters, the most vulnerable becomes the most affected.
An examination of the data regarding those persons who have reported damages to the Ministry
of Labour indicated that female-headed households were over represented in each category of
type of damage reported. Of those household heads who reported their houses completely
destroyed, 48 per cent were female, while those who had reported severe damage and minor
damage 57 per cent and 54 per cent were female heads of households, respectively. The JSLC
also reports that one of the characteristics of female headed households in Jamaica is that there is
often a higher presence of children in female-headed households (73.8 per cent) compared with
those headed by males (64.9 per cent) and a higher proportion of other female adults.
Hurricane Ivan may have impacted many people across the island but the group that seems to be
most affected may be Jamaica’s women and children. An outbreak of gastroenteritis in both the
under and over 5 year old age groups was reported two weeks following Hurricane Ivan and The
National Surveillance system noted a marked increase in the number of accidents such as
fractures, lacerations from machete or zinc and nail puncture wounds among the same age group.
In addition, the Ministry of Health has estimated that some 12 500 children may be at risk for
folic acid deficiency due to the expected shortage of fruits and vegetables, which will not be
available to pregnant women.
The male labour force participation in 2003 was consistently higher (71.4 per cent) for men than
for women (53.2 per cent), and the unemployment rate for women (17.6 per cent) was almost
twice that of men (9.7 per cent). 5 With the passage of Hurricane Ivan and the destruction of
many livelihoods, coupled with the expected period of delay before the productive sectors are
able to operate at full capacity, women’s ability to meet the needs of themselves and their
families will become an even more challenging process. The vulnerability of children in Jamaica
derives from their living in poor families either in remote rural areas or over-crowded inner-city
slums. It has been argued that children living in households which are dependent on female
wage-earners are more vulnerable to poverty because women face higher rates of unemployment
than men and are usually paid less than men, even for the same work. 6
5 Economic and Social Survey Jamaica 2003
6 Jamaican Children and Their Families: A Situation Assessment and Analysis 1999-2000.
II.
SOCIAL SECTORS
Hurricane Ivan negatively affected the living conditions of the population of Jamaica, in varying
degrees in the different sectors. The impact on these sectors is described below.
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