Disaster Management with a Gender Perspective: A Historic Debt

Unequal Impacts of Hurricane Season 

It’s hurricane season, and fear lingers. The memory of Hurricane Otis – which nearly two years ago caused over 84 billion pesos in damages in Acapulco, Mexico – is a stark reminder of our growing vulnerability. Yet, hurricanes, rains, and earthquakes are natural phenomena, not disasters in themselves. Disasters are socially constructed, occurring when such events hit communities already vulnerable due to poverty, inequality, poor infrastructure, or lack of preparedness.

In this context, it is crucial to recognize that disasters have differentiated impacts – and it is women and girls who face the greatest impact. Ignoring the gender perspective in comprehensive disaster risk management, especially amid a worsening climate crisis, is not merely an omission but a strategic failure that condemns us to repeat cycles of destruction and inequality.

Climate Change and Growing Vulnerability

We can no longer discuss disasters without framing them within the global climate crisis. According to UNAM’s State and Outlook of Climate Change in Mexico report, the country’s average temperature has risen by 1.69° C since the early 20th century, higher than the global average of 1.23°C. This accelerated warming has intensified hydrometeorological events: longer droughts, torrential rains, and hurricanes that, like Otis, strengthen within hours.

Mexico’s geographic location exposes it to multiple natural hazards, but vulnerability is also social, not just geographic. Poverty, lack of access to basic services, and marginalization transform natural phenomena into social disasters. In 2023, disasters cost Mexico 88.9 billion pesos, equivalent to 0.3% of GDP, according to the National Center for Disaster Prevention (CENAPRED). Beyond damaged infrastructure, this figure represents disrupted lives and compromised futures.

The Gendered Face of Devastation

Disasters disproportionately affect vulnerable groups, and women face a double burden: beyond the immediate crisis, they shoulder the majority of domestic and care work, protecting children, the elderly, and the sick. During and after emergencies, they manage scarce resources, search for water and food, and lead emotional and material reconstruction efforts.

Gender conditions expose them to additional risks. The loss of housing, double workload, and decreased economic autonomy push women into cycles of poverty. Damage to health infrastructure particularly affects sexual and reproductive health, interrupting gynecological, obstetric, and prenatal care. Moreover, precarious shelters and disorganized post-disaster conditions increase exposure to gender-based violence, harassment, and sexual abuse. Despite being the most affected and central to recovery, women’s voices are rarely heard in civil protection committees or decision-making spaces during reconstruction.

From Omission to Action: Gender-Responsive Public Policy

Current public policies on civil protection and disaster management have advanced but remain gender-blind. While plans mention the need to assist “vulnerable groups,” in practice, programs seldom integrate gender considerations explicitly – perpetuating inequality under the guise of neutrality.

To shift this paradigm, action must replace rhetoric. The first step is data generation: we need sex-disaggregated statistics that go beyond qualitative accounts. How many damaged homes were female-headed? How did disasters affect their income? What proportion of reconstruction aid reaches women? Without hard data, public policy is shooting in the dark.

Second, effective inter-institutional coordination is imperative. Gender must become a crosscutting axis linking the efforts of the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection, CENAPRED, the Ministry of Welfare, and state and local governments. This includes training staff, gender-responsive care protocols, and equitable resource distribution.

Finally, women must have active and meaningful participation in all stages of risk management – from vulnerability mapping and prevention to emergency response and reconstruction design. Their community knowledge, support networks, and awareness of specific needs are invaluable resources we currently overlook an fail to attend to.

Incorporating a gender perspective is neither a privilege nor an afterthought; it is central to achieving real and lasting change. It is a matter of social justice and an essential condition for building a truly resilient Mexico – one that protects everyone equally and understands that collective strength depends on the security and well-being of each of its residents.