Gendered Recovery, Structural Inequality, and Community-Driven Resilience Following the 2023 Lahaina Wildfire

• In Event: Environmental Sociology Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 8: Inequality, Gender, and Intersectionality

Abstract

On August 8, 2023, the Lahaina wildfire became the deadliest in the United States in over a century, destroying a community with strong cultural, historical, and political ties. This study explores how gender shaped recovery after the wildfire, drawing on qualitative data from two focus groups with Lahaina residents (n = 13). Participants described recovery as an ongoing, uncertain process, shaped by displacement, financial struggles, institutional failures, and reliance on community support. Recovery work included providing emotional support, caregiving, navigating complex systems, and organizing resources, but these responsibilities were not shared equally. Gender expectations affected who took on these roles and how they experienced them. Participants also discussed significant cultural and spiritual losses, especially among Native Hawaiian residents, as well as ongoing housing instability and limited access to culturally respectful mental health care. While official recovery efforts were often inconsistent or difficult to access, community-led mutual aid and social networks played a key role in supporting individuals and families. These findings suggest that Lahaina offers important insight into how climate disasters are linked to structural inequality and gendered labor during recovery, and point to the need for disaster recovery approaches that are fair, culturally sensitive, and mindful of gender dynamics.

Author

• Lauren Taylor, Howard University