By Manish Patel, All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI), India

Ending gender-based violence (GBV) within disaster and climate contexts requires focused and sustained action across several interconnected areas.

First, GBV prevention must be integrated into disaster risk reduction and climate resilience policies so that protection and safety are embedded in preparedness, response, recovery, and adaptation planning.

Second, stronger and more accessible reporting and survivor support systems are essential, particularly for women in informal work, displacement, and disaster-affected communities where legal protections often remain out of reach.

Third, promoting women’s leadership and participation in local risk governance can help ensure that safety concerns are recognised and addressed in decision-making processes.

Fourth, an intersectional approach is necessary to understand how gender interacts with class, caste, age, disability, occupation, and migration status in shaping vulnerability and access to protection. Recognising these layered inequalities allows policies and programmes to target those most at risk.

Finally, greater investment in community awareness, action research, and institutional accountability is needed to document risks, support local solutions, and ensure that disaster and climate initiatives do not unintentionally increase harm. Together, these action areas can help ensure that by 2030 disaster resilience and climate action actively protect women’s dignity, safety, and rights rather than leaving gender-based violence unaddressed.