Women aren’t 14 times more likely to die in disasters – inequality is the real killer

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The real story about gender and climate-related disasters is both more complicated - and more urgent. And it must be told in a credible way that highlights the social, economic, and cultural factors that can be changed.

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Yes, women do often face greater risks in disasters - but not because of some innate vulnerability, and rarely at a fixed 14:1 ratio. Rather, as the 2007 landmark study on disasters by Neumayer and Plümper found, it's because of enduring inequalities. When women and men enjoy equal rights, their death rates in disasters are similar. Women aren't inherently more vulnerable; they are held back by social barriers.

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Take that same 1991 Bangladesh cyclone. Warnings didn't reach many women, and cultural norms kept them at home. The result? Far more women died than men.

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We don't need one mythic number to make the case for gender-responsive climate action. The truth is compelling enough. Disasters - like climate change itself - are not gender-neutral. They magnify existing inequalities. They intensify harm for those with less power, less mobility, and less voice.

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