Explainer: Why gender matters in disaster risk reduction

Disasters are happening more often, costing more, and affecting more lives than ever before. Disaster risk reduction (DRR) is not just reacting when a crisis hits. It’s about preventing new risks, reducing existing ones, and managing the challenges that remain. Simply put, it’s about building resilience and protecting progress toward sustainable development.

Every year on 13 October, the world marks the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. It serves as a reminder to look at who is most affected when disasters strike - and why gender makes a difference. This year’s theme, “Fund Resilience, Not Disasters,” calls for a decisive shift: fund resilience now to avoid paying a much higher price later.

Learn why and how UN Women is putting this into practice in three countries from the Europe and Central Asia region - Georgia, Tajikistan, and Türkiye – with one important principle in mind: women and girls must always be at the center of these efforts.

Women and girls are hit harder

Women and girls often face higher mortality rates in disasters. A 2021 World Bank study reveals that natural disasters, including droughts, earthquakes, extreme temperatures, famines, fires, floods, landslides, and windstorms, lower women’s life expectancy more than men’s. This occurs either directly, by killing more women than men, or indirectly, by shortening women’s lives through higher morbidity and more severe economic impacts. Other studies also find that women die at higher rates than men, particularly in developing countries.

Disasters also exacerbate gender-based violence, which tends to increase in their aftermath. This is often made worse by disruptions in law enforcement and judicial systems, unsafe shelter conditions, the loss of traditional support structures, and limited access to protection services.

Pictures from pages 10, 11 (second picture) from the donor report

In Türkiye, following the devastating earthquake in 2023, 431 women at risk and survivors of violence received gender-responsive protection services, with the support of UN Women and the Government of Japan. “We knew women’s struggles didn’t begin with the earthquake – but the disaster made them worse. That’s why we held frequent gender equality sessions, not as lectures but as interactive, engaging activities. These moments opened horizons, sparked ideas, and gave women the confidence to imagine change,” states Şirin Şeyhmus, Case Worker at the Leader Woman Association, who led awareness-raising sessions in the field.

Additionally, 87 people from Japanese and Turkish private companies exchanged knowledge to strengthen their gender-responsiveness, disaster preparedness, and response strategies during the “Experience Sharing Session: Advancing Gender-Responsiveness and Disaster Resilience in the Private Sector” event in May 2025.

When women lead, responses are more equitable and inclusive

Women face significant barriers to accessing the information and resources needed to adequately prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters, according to the World Bank report “Gender Dimensions of Disaster Risk and Resilience: Existing Evidence”. These barriers, shaped by social, economic, and cultural inequalities, include:

• Limited access to early warning systems and risk communication due to lower literacy rates, lack of mobile phone ownership, and exclusion from decision-making platforms.
• Difficulty accessing safe shelter, particularly for women with caregiving responsibilities or mobility constraints. In some places, cultural norms prevent women from evacuating without male permission.
• Financial exclusion, without bank accounts, credit, or insurance, limits women’s ability to protect savings and recover economically after disasters.
• Disproportionate burden of unpaid care work, which increases during crises and limits women’s time and mobility to engage in preparedness or recovery activities.
• Underrepresentation in decision-making and technical fields, such as meteorology, engineering, and emergency planning, results in disaster risk reduction strategies that often overlook women’s needs and capacities.

In Georgia, as of September 2025, 155 women, including civil society representatives, community leaders, ethnic minority women, and local community members, have participated in capacity-building trainings, workshops, and information sessions conducted by UN Women and funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. This initiative aims to raise awareness and strengthen the capacities of women to ensure their meaningful participation, agency, and leadership in gender-responsive risk assessments, preparedness planning, and inclusive early warning systems.

“Women are vital to reducing the risks of climate-related disasters. They bring a unique, on-the-ground knowledge. When women lead, they act as catalysts for building strong, resilient communities, mobilizing people, and creating essential support networks that help everyone recover from climate shocks. Their involvement also ensures that disaster responses are more equitable and inclusive, addressing the specific needs of vulnerable groups,“ said Tekle Bregvadze, Lawyer and the Deputy Chairperson of the Women’s National League in Georgia, with professional experience in Disaster Risk Reduction, crisis management, and civil protection.

Women’s specific needs, roles, and capacities are overlooked

Despite recognition that gender equality matters in disaster response, policies across Europe and Central Asia still lag behind. According to the UN Women's Women's Resilience to Disasters Policy Tracker, the region has only eight policies and seven plans that are gender inclusive, the second-lowest number globally. And most of these are non-binding strategies and plans, not enforceable laws.

Moreover, when policies treat women and girls as part of a broad “vulnerable groups” category, their specific needs, roles, and capacities are overlooked. This gap leads to:

• Higher mortality and increased exposure to violence among women and girls.
• Missed opportunities for resilience, since women’s leadership and knowledge are often excluded.
• Weak accountability, due to limited gender data and indicators in monitoring systems.

In Tajikistan, since 2024, more than 100 people, from emergency services staff to community leaders and journalists, have been trained on gender-responsive disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation through UN Women projects.

UN Women also supports the government in integrating gender perspectives into national emergency policies, including contributions to the draft Action Plan for the National Disaster Risk Strategy.

“UN Women and other international organizations have made valuable contributions to developing and implementing the Action Plan of the National DRR Strategy and related projects in Tajikistan. We must strengthen our joint efforts to implement these measures and work together to address existing challenges,” stated Mr. Rajabali Rahmonali, Chairperson of the National Platform for DRR and the Committee for Emergency Situations and Civil Defense under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan.

Despite challenges, women play active roles in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. When women are included, recovery is faster, more equitable, and communities grow stronger and more resilient.