Looking at family dynamics in response to stress
Selvin Hart, the UN Special Advisor to the Secretary-General on Climate Action, said that not only are women primarily affected the most by climate crises but specifically women in poor and vulnerable countries.
For female-headed households, 8% more income is lost due to heat stress and 3% more because of floods.
Moderate or severe food insecurity in adult women rose from 27.5% in 2019 to 31.9% in 2021.
The UN discovered that intimate partner violence spikes, girls are pulled from school, and sexual exploitation and trafficking happen at a higher rate.
When an extreme weather event happens, women and children are 14 times more likely to die than men.
Increased rainfall has caused girls to spend more time gathering wood and water and transporting it farther distances. Doing so has increased their exposure to things like violence and missing school.
Girls in their adolescence have an increased likelihood of being forced into marriage to alleviate financial difficulties that result from extreme weather events.
According to UNICEF, in a worst-case scenario, if structural gender inequalities and barriers because of climate aren’t resolved, up to 158.3 million more women and girls could be pushed into poverty by mid-century.
Some adaptive measures could include cash or in-kind assistance and livelihood diversification, connections to an early warning system, and linkages to access social services and health insurance.
Women are more likely to be impacted due to limited access to information, limited mobility, limited decision-making abilities culturally, and a lack of resources.
Empowering women and girls is the key to climate action. Half of the world’s food production is the responsibility of women. That is especially true in developing countries where women produce up to 80% of food.
Women are agents of change In wealthier societies, where they drive 70-80% of consumer purchasing decisions and are more likely to recycle, minimize waste, and buy organic produce.
It’s estimated that women do at least two and a half times the household work and care work compared to men. When a climate disaster strikes, women take on even more responsibilities.
Women bring incredibly valuable information about building a community resilient to climate change. For example, it’s important to preserve crop biodiversity and seed varieties as well as to use natural soil building and fertilization methods.
In disastrous situations, women are tasked with not only providing support to their families but also caring for the sick and injured.
Social assistance is there to aid households in meeting basic needs and to improve their coping responses.
Studies show that countries with higher proportions of women in parliament are more likely to ratify international environmental treaties and ultimately have stricter climate policies.
Long-term investments in social protection systems and short-term adaptations are needed in order to help women and girls reduce vulnerability when it comes to climate or economic shocks.
Though women are disproportionately impacted by climate disasters and spearhead the recovery following one, they are widely excluded from shaping policies that impact them and their community.
You can make a difference by not only educating yourself but also being an active voice for women in politics and policy decisions. If you live in a wealthy country, speak up and out for your sisters in poorer countries who are struggling.
Sources: (CNN) (UNICEF) (United Nations) (BBC)
See also: Will this be the first country destroyed by climate change?
As our planet battles rising temperatures, dwindling water supplies, failing crops, and much more, the ripple effect goes well beyond just the environment. These crises worsen food insecurity, strain health systems, and leave families to make impossible choices. But amid these challenges, women and girls face disproportionate risks. From increased burdens at home to reduced access to education and resources, their resilience is tested daily in ways that often go unseen.
Curious about how the climate crisis negatively impacts women? Click through to find out.
Air pollution, rising temperatures, crop failures, and water shortages increase pressures on health and agrifood systems.
Households must often reduce the consumption of food, sell assets, migrate, or adjust how labor is allocated amongst men and women.
How the climate crisis affects gender inequality
The serious impact you need to know about
LIFESTYLE Climate change
As our planet battles rising temperatures, dwindling water supplies, failing crops, and much more, the ripple effect goes well beyond the environment. These crises worsen food insecurity, strain health systems, and leave families to make impossible choices. But amid these challenges, women and girls face disproportionate risks. From increased burdens at home to reduced access to education and resources, their resilience is tested daily in ways that often go unseen.
Curious about how the climate crisis negatively impacts women? Click through to find out.