Climate change affects gender differently
“Yes, I agree that gender equality and creating equal opportunities is an important issue for the society but there are bigger, more pressing issues to deal with…” ranted an acquaintance of mine. I was trying really hard to control my emotions and the expressions on my face! Instead I asked him – what are the biggest issues in today’s world, according to you? He answers without stopping to think. “Climate change, rising sea levels, food and water security to name a few!” This time I was prepared, I had two questions for him: Firstly, who do you think is worst affected by climate change? Secondly, in your opinion, what will help solve these challenges?
Before I proceed any further, I ask of you, what would be your answers to the questions above?
As you correctly guessed, developing countries are the worse affected due to their dependence on agriculture, forestation and other natural resources. What is even more surprisingly is that women and girls are disproportionately affected, for example, they bear the main burden of water collection in developing countries. The distances travelled, especially in unprotected areas, to get water and the lack of safe, private toilets make women and girls more vulnerable to violence. This slows or halts education of girls and takes time away from income-generating activities. Also, climate change has led to high levels of forced migration due to environmental degradation and natural disasters. Forced migration perpetuates and worsens the inequalities that women face. When male family members migrate, female members end up performing roles as caregivers, and also become the sole breadwinners. When women must migrate, their economic and physical security is compromised, often leaving them to become targets for human traffickers and smugglers.
But what are the solutions? Paul Hawken, an environmentalist who has been starting green businesses, writing books and advising businesses had released a new book called Drawdown. There are 100 solutions laid out in the book, and each one measured and modelled to determine its carbon impact through the year 2050, the total and net cost to society, and the total lifetime savings (or cost). The #1 solution is a combination of educating girls and family planning. This could together reduce 120 gigatons of CO2 equivalent by 2050 - more than on- and offshore wind power combined (99 GT). The solution is modelled on the difference in how much energy, building space, food, waste, and transportation would be used in a world with little to no investment in family planning, compared to one in which the projection of 9.7 billion is realized. 9.7 billion people by 2050 is UN’s global population projection. And, there is no doubt, educating girls and family planning are critical to achieve that.
Climate change and gender inequality are widespread challenges with consequences on individuals and communities. Their interaction is highly complex. One thing to clear that to combat unprecedented global change, we need to relentlessly bring equality in every corner of the society.
Image from Feminista
