Why it's so much harder for a Bangladeshi woman to escape a cyclone

When Cyclone Sidr battered Bangladesh in 2007, hundreds of women and children died, writes Katie Nguyen for TrustLaw. "Not because they didn't know there was a big storm coming, but simply because the men weren't home to give them permission to leave the house and seek safety elsewhere," she explains. Since then, however, the Bangladesh Red Crescent and British Red Cross have been working on a project to boost disaster preparedness. "We have worked with the most vulnerable groups - particularly pregnant women and children," said Nazma, a housewife who helps circulate information about cyclones and how to prepare for disasters.