The Lahaina wildfire in 2023 led to a dramatic increase in sexual exploitation and domestic violence, revealing deeper gender inequalities. Research highlighted that one in six female survivors engaged in survival sex to obtain basic necessities. The vulnerability of immigrant women was exacerbated in emergency shelters, pushing them into unsafe situations. Furthermore, reopening the tourism sector just months after the disaster heightened feelings of powerlessness amongst survivors, resulting in escalating domestic violence. Many survivors reported being trapped in abusive relationships, unable to find safe refuge amid ongoing crises.
One in six female fire survivors surveyed felt forced to engage in sexual acts in exchange for basic necessities such as food, clothing, and housing.
Immigrant women and other limited English speakers felt particularly isolated and unsafe in emergency shelters, often sleeping in vehicles or engaging in survival sex for safety.
Reopening the tourism industry complicated survivors' sense of powerlessness and may have exacerbated domestic violence, with many trapped in violent relationships.
The political decision to reopen West Maui to tourists less than two months after the fires faced widespread opposition from traumatized survivors.
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