The World Road Association (PIARC) recognizes gender inclusion and diversity as a cross-cutting issue within its Strategic Plan 2024-2027. In 2021, PIARC created a Commission focused on these topics and assigned a permanent group to the Executive Committee. In 2024, PIARC Technical Committee (TC) 1.5 on Disaster Management conducted a survey to capture the gender, inclusion, and diversity issues apparent in disaster management, specifically in road disaster management.

TC 1.5 aims to consider issues related to "gender" and "diversity" in disaster management, together with "vulnerable groups“, and address ways of integrating new considerations into disaster management. A focus area of TC1.5 is the integration of inclusion of gender, diversity, and vulnerable groups into its work programme. The Committee conducted a literature review, carried out an international survey, and organised an international workshop.

The international survey results indicate that gender strategies remain limited across many countries and organisations, as most respondents answered "No" or "Don’t know" regarding the existence of national or organisational gender strategies. Only a few countries reported having national strategies, and most organisations lack formal gender strategies. Nevertheless, some organisations reported implementing inclusive training, awareness-raising activities, and improved support for women and other vulnerable groups during disaster response. These efforts were associated with benefits such as cost savings and enhanced public satisfaction.

An international workshop was organized on 27th May 2025 in Osaka Japan by PIARC TC1. 5. The goal of the gender, inclusion and diversity session was to 1) study challenges and issues affecting vulnerable groups during disaster, 2) identify integration of gender inclusion and diversity into community disaster management, 3) develop shared understandings, and 4) identify recommendations for including diversity into road disaster management. A summary of the key findings includes: 1) The importance of strategic decision making, policy and governance being carried out via a gender / inclusion perspective from the very start, 2) The vital role of stakeholder engagement and collaboration, again in the early stages of disaster management, with all vulnerable groups and communities, and at all levels of response, 3) Availability and use of good quality disaggregated data in disaster response, and 4) The challenges and opportunities to promote and provide equitable roles to all (vulnerable groups) across all phases of disaster management.

This technical report contains a summary of survey results and case studies collected, conclusions and recommendations for decision-makers and international organisations.