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Gender sensitization is a theory that a maximum number of policy analysts discover easy to implement, but very few perform well. The same can be said about disaster risk reduction. When these two concerns are put together to mainstream gender into disaster risk reduction (DRR), concerned organizations and experts find gaps in planning and implementation of policies. This is not because the job is integrally challenging; rather, there is not adequate practical guidance and pragmatic information. This paper aims to increase awareness about gender issues in disaster risk reduction, to improve government capability to address gender problems in DRR and to encourage Pakistan's government to incorporate gender perception into DRR legislatures, strategies and plans for sustainable development. The importance of the Beijing Agenda for global action on gender sensitive DRR and the Manila Declaration for Global Action on gender in climate change and DRR have been highlighted, with the help of information from other developing countries, to develop a road map for Pakistan. Capacity development and gender-aware knowledge products are the two main areas with the help of which concerns regarding gender sensitivity can be addressed in disaster preparedness, recovery and rehabilitation.

This paper aims to analyze the institutional framework in Pakistan for disaster management and specific disaster management policies. This paper is also designed to develop an in-depth understanding of the key challenges that the communities of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan face in the wake of constantly reoccurring disasters. House-hold survey, observations and key informant interviews were conducted to analyze the preparedness, both at community and organizational levels. The findings point out that disaster management policies and mechanisms regarding preparedness are not implemented by both federal and state authorities at local level. Further, the local communities of AJK, Pakistan are susceptible to different kind of hazards related to disasters. The paper reveals that available federal/state mechanism of disasters do not meet the needs of community. All of the stakeholders including federal government institutions, state government institutions and local communities are not prepared. Thus, communities are continuously getting affected by natural disasters. The paper suggests that there is a dire need to improve the coordination between state and national agencies. Further, there is need to enhance community preparedness specifically in AJK, Pakistan to upgrade community's defensive and awareness mechanism to safeguard citizens' lives in response to seismic emergency.

Disasters have the capacity to increase the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of marginalized groups of society. It is the need of the hour to include these segments to make the process of disaster risk reduction successful. This research article presents comprehensive information regarding global agenda and efforts made by developing countries for the empowerment & resilience of weak people during natural and man-made disasters. This article provides information on vulnerable groups are exploited for reaping benefits of DRR policies. Case studies are studied from developing world like, Indonesia, Cambodia, Philippines, Nepal, India & Myanmar to highlight the initiative taken to empower these segments. This evidence has been used in recommending more productive actions for inclusion of vulnerable people in DRR mechanisms in developing countries.