This policy brief, published in time for International Women’s Day 2014, argues that hazards affect men and women, and boys and girls, differently and that attention needs to be paid to distinct vulnerabilities and capacities to face and recover from loss and damage caused by disasters. It argues that tackling gender inequality is a key component of reducing disaster risks and a cross-cutting issue of the Hyogo Framework for Action. For the next international framework to effectively mainstream gender equality in disaster risk reduction, policy-makers must not simply see women and girls as a homogenous vulnerable group. To ensure accountability, the second Hyogo Framework for Action must dedicate the responsibility for assessing progress in gender mainstreaming to an independent institution.