ABSTRACT
In the Australian context, fire authorities have, for some decades, presented residents with a choice to evacuate or defend a property when threatened by wildfire and the issue of why some people defer or delay this choice has become a crucial issue of research. The work of proudly suggests that in terms of wildfire preparedness and decision-making, the gendered dynamics of households are an important but generally overlooked factor. The integration of gendered analysis in the social sciences has led to a greater recognition of the role that the social construction of gender plays in affecting the attitudes and behaviours of individuals as well as social, political and economic institutions. In terms of disaster, one of the more obvious ways in which the influence of gender norms has been recognised is through the masculinised and male-dominated structure of emergency services organisations. Various gendered social restrictions impact women's responses to disaster.
