Humanitarian logistics performance in the light of gender

Purpose The aim of this article is to identify gaps in research and to set up a research agenda that investigates how gender attributes and different sets of skills contribute to logistics performance. The article focuses on humanitarian logistics and outlines the areas in which gender issues impact on the effectiveness of the provision of aid following a disaster. Design/methodology/approach A topical literature review on gender, humanitarian logistics, and logistics performance is used to unearth existing gaps in research. Findings Two main research gaps are of particular interest for humanitarian logistics in the light of gender: sex segregation in logistics, and the relation between gender and logistics skills; and the mitigation of gender disadvantages of beneficiaries. Here, a gendered access to aid can impact negatively on aid effectiveness. Originality/value Literature is scant both on gender issues in logistics and on humanitarian logistics. The paper contributes to both areas, while evaluating the impact of gender on logistics performance.