title: Rethinking our approach to gender and disasters: Needs, responsibilities, and solutions.
abstract: To explore how the existing literature has discussed the vulnerability and needs of women in a disaster context. It will consider the literature's suggestions of how to minimize vulnerability and address the needs of women, including who involved in emergency management should be responsible for such efforts.
  
  
  
  Empirical journal articles and book chapters from disaster literature were collected that focused on "women" or "gender," and their results and recommendations were analyzed.
  
  
  
  This review found existing empirical research on women during disasters focuses on their vulnerabilities more than their needs. Second, when researchers do suggest solutions, they tend not to be comprehensive or supported by empirical evidence. Finally, it is not clear from existing research who is responsible for addressing these needs and implementing solutions.
  
  
  
  Future research should study the intersection of gender and disasters in terms of needs and solutions including who is responsible for implementing solutions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Management, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Montano
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Management, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Savitt
mesh_terms: D004189:Disaster Planning; D004190:Disasters; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D012449:Safety; D012737:Sex Factors; D012944:Social Support; D014930:Women; D016387:Women's Health