Through a gender lens, this study analyses the early warning system (EWS) established in the basin of Islamabad and Rawalpindi after the 2010 flood disaster in Pakistan. To do so, ten focus group discussions were carried out across four neighbourhoods; five of the groups consisted of women, and the other five men. Interviews with key informants such as members of disaster management institutions were also conducted. Authors discuss the gender division of labour, women’s lack of access to information and gender stereotypes. The study identified a communication gap between early warning messages and working-class women who lacked access to information.