The gendered nature of disasters: a review and analysis of flood impacts

Gender plays a crucial role in shaping how individuals are exposed to, experience, and recover from floods, operating as a social determinant that intersects with broader inequalities. This study examines how gendered dynamics influence flood-related impacts across diverse socio-economic contexts, using a structured comparison between low- and middle-income countries and high-income countries to analyse their mechanisms and consequences. Drawing on a comprehensive review and thematic analysis of 104 academic and grey literature sources, the research identifies and systematizes 41 gender-differentiated impacts grouped into six thematic domains: physical health, work and livelihoods, legal and institutional issues, cultural and educational dimensions, gender-based violence, and mental health. Beyond mapping evidence, the study interprets how gender relations and institutions mediate impacts, including care burdens, housing insecurity, and entitlement filters shaping access to relief and recovery. In low- and middle-income countries, women are disproportionately affected by restricted aid access, severe health outcomes, caregiving overload, gender-based violence, and forced or child marriage. In high-income contexts, impacts tend to manifest in psychological distress, limited participation in decision-making, and labor precarity that hinders socioeconomic recovery. The synthesis shows hazards yield different gendered outcomes depending on governance and entitlement structures, underscoring the need for gender-responsive flood risk governance.