Emergencies Don’t Affect Everyone Equally. When disasters strike, some people face greater risks than others. Women and gender-diverse people are disproportionately impacted due to systemic inequalities that shape access to resources, safety, and recovery efforts. Factors like income, race, disability, and age also influence how communities experience and recover from emergencies. Traditional emergency management approaches often overlook these differences, leaving the most vulnerable without the support they need.
This Toolkit Helps Change That. Our Toolkit for Equitable Emergency Management is designed to help emergency planners, community leaders, and decision-makers create disaster response strategies that work for everyone. It provides clear, practical guidance on applying intersectional gender analysis to Hazard, Risk, and Vulnerability Assessments (HRVAs), ensuring emergency plans are inclusive and effective.
What’s Inside?
✤ Step-by-step guidance on assessing risks through an intersectional gender lens
✤ Tools and resources to identify vulnerabilities and strengthen community resilience
✤ Real-world examples to help you integrate intersectional gender analysis into emergency planning
Why It Matters
Using an intersectional gender approach helps emergency managers and communities:
✤ Better understand risks by recognizing how gender and other social factors shape vulnerability
✤ Develop more inclusive plans that address the unique needs of women, gender-diverse people, and other marginalized groups
✤ Improve outcomes by reducing harm, saving lives, and ensuring resources reach those who need them most
Get Started Today! Equity in emergency management isn’t just ethical—it’s essential. Download the toolkit and consult the companion guide to take the first step toward building safer, more resilient communities where no one is left behind.
Copyright© 2024: Canadian Centre for Safer Communities & Canadian Women’s Foundation [representing itself and co-authors].
This is an open source document and permission to quote, reproduce and disseminate is hereby granted, free of charge.
Suggested citation: Canadian Women’s Foundation (2024). A Toolkit for Equitable Emergency Management.
We gratefully acknowledge the labour and contributions of all involved in the creation of this document.
Researched and written by: Alex Valoroso & Carmin O’Neal
