Why Climate Change is a Women's Rights Issue

By Anna Lampinen

In a world struggling with many large-scale, global challenges – climate change, gender inequality, the rise of racism and xenophobia, immigration, and so on – it is important to see how these topics overlap. Instead of being separate issues without any commonalities, many of them are intricately linked to each other. Although these complex topics are challenging to grapple with even on their own, it is important to attempt to understand the ways in which they intersect in order to better address them in the future. This post will take a look at one of these intersections, climate change and gender inequality, and the way climate change negatively influences women’s lives – especially in the poorer regions of the world.

Research shows that natural disasters have the most destructive impact on poor communities, and consequently, women and girls. According to Oxfam, women account for about 70 percent of people living below the poverty line; therefore, the heaviest burdens brought on by natural disasters will rest on their shoulders. A UNDP research project in Uganda found that changing weather conditions have multiple negative effects on women’s lives, many of them linked to the rise of gender-based violence. As prolonged periods of drought become more common, women are forced to make longer journeys to fetch food or water, which puts them at a higher risk of being sexually assaulted; in addition, young girls who have to spend more time fetching water often have to miss school, and may even have to drop out. The positive impact of education on children’s lives cannot be overstated, and the idea that some young girls - or boys - might be robbed of that basic human right because of climate change is a major concern. Furthermore, according to the same UNDP study, ”some food vendors, farmers or landowners at times insist on trading sex with women in exchange for food or rent”, forcing women to choose between protecting their own bodies or protecting their families’ well-being.

Women are also an untapped resource in the fight against climate change. As their time during the aftermaths of natural disasters is often spent in taking care of their families, women in poorer regions are usually unable to participate in important discussions about solutions to climate change. Because of their work in both agriculture and caretaking, women have vital knowledge about the effects of climate change on nature as well as people. ”When women are included equally with men in disaster preparedness training, their survival rates improve”, Oxfam states. Luckily, many organizations are beginning to tap into women’s expertise when it comes to combating climate change; for example in Kenya, Micronesia, Bangladesh, Honduras, and Ethiopia, women’s involvement in projects tackling the effects of natural disasters has produced inspiring results.

Climate change is also a major cause behind the increase in immigration, which is another global challenge of our times. As men are often the first to migrate, women are left behind with the increased burden of handling all the household responsibilities. According to Gender CC, men’s absence also leads to a heightened risk of social and economic exploitation for women, as they have fewer rights than men, and therefore fewer means to defend themselves. In the case of female migrants, they face a greater risk of sexual violence and unequal labor and human rights in their destination countries than men. Although all immigrants face great challenges on their journeys to safety, women are subject to bigger threats because of their gender. Battling climate change and ensuring that at-risk regions stay habitable and prosperous is a key factor in making the world safer – for everyone.