Photo by NASA
Natural disasters don’t just ravage landscapes—they also expose and deepen systemic inequalities. Recent hurricanes, Milton and Helene, tore through Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, destroying homes, businesses, and the lives built across generations. While governments rush to repair infrastructure and restore housing, they often overlook the people most impacted in the long term—especially women, low-income mothers, and their children. These groups bear the storm’s weight long after it has passed.
The truth is that the temporary solutions offered by governments and international organizations might patch immediate wounds, but they don’t heal the deeper, systemic problems that exacerbate women’s suffering. Disasters shine a spotlight on pre-existing inequalities, and for women, the picture is often bleak.
Hurricanes Milton and Helene are no exceptions to this trend. Disasters like these reveal systemic vulnerabilities, with women, particularly low-income mothers, suffering disproportionately. Despite the urgency of restoring physical structures, disaster response frameworks rarely address the unique needs of women. Until aid distribution and disaster response incorporate gender-sensitive policies, this cycle of inequality will persist. It’s essential for relief efforts to include hygiene products, prenatal care, and safety measures that protect against gender-based violence.
In the aftermath of disasters, risks of gender-based violence often surge. Shelters become overcrowded, social services strain under demand, and women are left more vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. This pattern is alarmingly common: After Hurricane Katrina, domestic violence reports nearly doubled, a trend that was mirrored in the wake of Helene. The 2012 report “The Hidden Disaster” found that domestic violence incidents rose by 53 percent after New Zealand’s Canterbury earthquake, while physical victimization rates of women nearly doubled after Hurricane Katrina. From earthquakes in New Zealand to bushfires in Australia, women across the globe face heightened risks during and after climate-related disasters.
The needs go beyond housing. In the chaotic scramble of disaster recovery, shelters are seldom equipped to support those most in need, such as mothers with young children. Essentials like hygiene products, breastfeeding areas, and prenatal care are frequently overlooked, adding to the psychological and physical burdens these women bear.
As the 2012 report underscores, “Without long-term investments in affordable housing and community resilience, these vulnerable groups will continue to suffer disproportionately in future disasters.” Addressing this requires a radical rethinking of disaster preparedness and recovery. It’s time we acknowledged that women experience disasters differently than men. The path forward starts by prioritizing these differences to foster a more equitable recovery for all.
In addition to these downplayed issues, climate change has intensified the severity and frequency of natural disasters, and the gendered impacts are only becoming more pronounced. Climate change exacerbates existing inequalities, with women bearing the heaviest burden. From floods to hurricanes, women are often on the front lines of caregiving, resource gathering, and community rebuilding all while being more vulnerable to displacement, food scarcity, and violence. As climate change worsens, so too will these gendered impacts.
Decisive action to curb climate change and create gender-sensitive disaster response systems is crucial. Building climate resilience must go hand-in-hand with gender justice. Governments need to integrate women’s voices into climate change policies, ensuring that recovery efforts are not only reactive but also preemptive, equitable, and sustainable.
Let’s be clear: the fight for gender equality doesn’t end when the winds die down. Hurricanes Milton and Helene exposed the cracks in our disaster response systems—cracks that women and their children are falling through. This isn’t just about surviving the storm; it’s about dismantling the systemic inequalities that guarantee women will be left behind in every disaster. It’s about building a world where their needs are finally seen, heard, and addressed. And as the impacts of climate change continue to unfold, addressing the gendered dimensions of disaster response isn’t optional—it’s essential.
