By Grace George, AIDMI, India

Effective early warning systems must move beyond delivering information to ensuring that warnings can be safely acted upon by everyone, especially women.

First, early warning dissemination must be gender-responsive, ensuring that alerts reach women directly through trusted channels such as women’s self-help groups, community leaders, ASHAs, and local networks.

Second, mapping unsafe evacuation routes and public spaces is essential to identify areas where women face risks of harassment or violence while responding to warnings. Women’s knowledge of local environments should guide these safety assessments.

Third, safe evacuation and shelter infrastructure must be prioritised, including adequate lighting, clear signage, supervised entry points, and gender-sensitive facilities that protect privacy and dignity.

Fourth, community awareness and preparedness programmes should address both disaster response and protection concerns, helping families understand that safe evacuation requires attention to women’s security.

Finally, women’s participation in early warning governance and communication systems must be strengthened. When women help design, disseminate, and monitor warnings, trust increases and response improves. By embedding protection into early warning systems, disaster preparedness moves beyond technical alerts to ensure that every woman can receive, trust, and safely act on life-saving information.