The 2025 monsoon season in Pakistan has once again left behind destruction and misery. The toll of floods is not only measured in lives lost or homes destroyed but also in the deep impact on women and girls.
Health experts warn that reproductive healthcare has emerged as one of the biggest casualties. The UNFPA noted that during the 2022 floods, more than 650,000 pregnant women were affected, most cut off from hospitals and midwives. This year, thousands of expectant mothers are once again struggling to access basic medical services.
Officials fear the crisis will raise maternal and infant mortality. Pakistan’s maternal mortality rate is already high, reaching 298 deaths per 100,000 live births in Balochistan. With clinics damaged and roads blocked, the risks multiply during disasters.
Beyond healthcare, displacement has created further dangers. Relief camps are overcrowded, and women face insecurity in shelters with little privacy or protection. In earlier floods, survivors reported unsafe camps with no separate toilets or food distribution systems for women. Sadly, those problems remain largely unresolved in 2025.
Food insecurity is another hidden tragedy. The toll of floods has wiped out farmlands and livestock, leaving women unable to manage household supplies. Aid workers recall families keeping empty pots on stoves to comfort children. Despite growing needs, Pakistan received only a fraction of the required aid for recovery in 2024, and hunger is once again intensifying.
Local activists stress that gender inequalities worsen the crisis. Many rural women cannot swim or leave homes without permission, leaving them vulnerable when flash floods strike. Globally, women are 14 times more likely to die in natural disasters than men — a reality starkly visible in Pakistan.
Experts call for gender-responsive disaster policies. Budgets must include maternal care, mobile clinics, and safe food distribution. Relief camps need secure sanitation and female security staff. Above all, women should be included in decision-making to ensure policies address real needs.
The toll of floods in 2025 is a warning that climate disasters amplify inequalities if policies do not evolve. Empowering women in disaster response is not optional — it is essential for saving lives and ensuring resilience.
