Disaster management in Brazil: innovation through the gender perspective

Abstract Climate change and uneven urbanization processes have intensified the occurrence and magnitude of disasters. The purpose of this article is to discuss the integration between the National Policy for Protection and Civil Defense and the empowerment of women and communities in Brazil, revealing the innovative potential of gender-sensitive disaster management policy. For that, we base ourselves on a theoretical-conceptual survey to explain the special vulnerability of social minorities to disasters. We present the disaster management policies practiced in Brazil, which are essentially technicist, and propose the adoption of epistemologies of the South as a counterpoint. We end the article with propositions that have the potential for creating effective responses to the challenges posed by the climate emergency.