Creating Awareness, a Framework, and a Network

The frequency and severity of emergencies is growing in Canada and internationally and there are important gendered impacts, with women and girls often experiencing unique and increased risks. The 2023 Chief Public Health Officer report identifies that public health responses are necessary for improving community resilience to disasters and responding to direct and indirect impacts.

Higher income countries such as Canada have been slow to integrate a gendered lens in emergency planning and response. Gender interacts with sex-related factors, age, and other social factors and processes such as neighbourhood context, income level and employment status, food insecurity, and racism, to create risk.

When emergency management systems are gender-blind, gender inequity can inadvertently be reinforced. In this project, we aimed to improve awareness of the gendered impacts of disasters, develop a gendered emergency management framework to support policy makers, educators, emergency responders, community-based organizations, and researchers, and start building a network of those interested in gender and disaster in Canada.

This figure displays the Gendered Emergency Management Framework (GEM-F). Read the report to learn more about implementing the GEM-F.

Who did we work with?

We received feedback and guidance from experts in gender and emergency management from Canada and internationally as we developed the Framework, including representatives from:

  • Royal Roads University
  • Justice Institute of BC
  • Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Gender and Disaster Australia

What did we do?

The GEM-F was developed through an iterative process, involving the following activities:

  • Review of academic evidence on sex, gender, equity and emergencies, and violence against women and girls in the context of disasters.
  • Review of grey literature including reports and resources published in Canada and impactful international reports, frameworks, and guidance.
  • Consultations on draft GEM-F materials with experts specializing in health, gender equity, emergency response, and disaster management.

Report:

  • Gender and Emergency Management: A Framework for Action (2025) – This report describes the Gendered Emergency Management Framework (GEM-F), which integrates gender transformative, trauma informed, and equity-oriented approaches across the emergency management continuum, informed by sex, gender, and equity analysis of academic and grey literature searches. Practical examples and resources for further learning are included throughout.

Journal Articles:

Webinar:

Funding for this project was provided by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research through a Chief Public Health Officer Catalyst Grant.