Checklist for gender equality and social inclusion in disaster/emergency preparedness in the COVID-19 context

This paper establishes a checklist for gender equality and social inclusion in disaster emergency preparedness in the COVID-19 context. Disasters or emergencies do not affect everyone in the same way. In every humanitarian crisis, we know that women and girls are affected differently than men and boys, and that vulnerabilities are often exacerbated by other factors such as age, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity, caste, ethnicity or religion.

Pre-existing societal structures, social norms, discriminatory and harmful practices as well as gender roles create or contribute to heightened risks for some members of the community - such as children, persons with disabilities, sexual and gender minorities, people living with HIV/AIDS, adolescent girls, single women, members of female headed households, pregnant women and lactating mothers, senior citizens, Dalit women, women from religious and ethnic minorities and indigenous women.