What is it about?
Emergency response work has historically been designed for and performed by men. However, during the past few decades, more and more women are conducting this work. Despite this, research suggests women first responders continue to face unsupportive workplace structures and cultures.
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Why is it important?
Employing sufficient numbers of first responders will be vital in responding to increasing environmental, political, and global challenges. This work also provides insight into women's experiences of working in a typically male-dominated occupation, whose results may be relevant to a number of other professions in relatable circumstances.
Perspectives
In writing this article, I liked being able to bring some nuance to the discussion of women's experiences as first responders. As our results suggest, women described that there have been some effective changes to their organizations that support women workers. But they also noted some of the ways that they continue to create everyday challenges that can keep women from developing up the career ladder or dissuade them outright from participating in the profession. As a result, there are some evident and specific changes that come to light if we wish to meaningfully involve 51% of the population into first response work.
Kelly Gregory
University of Toronto
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Improving spaces for women first responders: A grounded theory on gender equity, PLOS One, September 2025, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0330849.
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