Climate Change & Gender Equality; Connecting the Dots to Understand the Impacts of Climate Change on Women and Girls Across the Globe

Introdution to Climate Change & Gender Equality

Gender equality is a global issue. One that requires unique approaches which are carefully curated to fit the needs of the multiple peoples, cultures and geographies in which they are placed. There are, however, some common threads to gender equality, which include access to education, to healthcare, to a livelihood, to safety and to a certain degree of autonomy. Whilst great strides have been taken across the world to improve women and girl’s access to all these crucial aspects of life, climate change is threatening the advancement of equality and endangering the lives of women and girls across the globe. “The climate crisis is not gender neutral” it is a “threat multiplier” (UN Women, 2022) which exposes women and girls, some of the most vulnerable members of our global society, to social, political and economic tensions which dramatically effect their lives and livelihoods. Women and girls constitute the majority of the world’s poor and are more likely to be dependant on the land and natural resources for food and income. Their socio-economic position often leaves them disempowered and unable to access decision-making roles within their communities. Whilst they are excluded from positions of power women and girls are not without responsibilities. Many must still secure “water, food and fuel for cooking and heating” often being forced into dangerous situations as they spend hours walking great distances to reach water sources. The dangers these women and girls experience is extended yet further under the duress of climate change as they face a heightened risk of death, injury and gender-based violence (early marriage, adolescent pregnancy, rape and trafficking) (ActionAid, 2023). It is crucial that when taking the time to focus on the gendered aspects of climate change that there is added recognition of the risks which “Afro-descendent women and girls, LGBTQI+ people, women and girls with disabilities, older women, migrant women, and those living in rural, remote, conflict- and disaster-prone areas” face (Economist Impact, 2023). The effects of climate change are not homogenous which necessitates better integration of women and marginalised groups into decision making in order to implement climate-resilient development pathways and to improve climate mitigation and adaptation policies. “At present, more than 70% of girls experience high levels of gender inequality… predominantly in developing countries… However… if society can follow a pathway of sustainable development in the coming decades, progress towards achieving gender equality could see this number drop below 25% by 2030” (Goodman & Prater, 2020). It is clear that the global efforts to tackle the climate crisis will not only protect the planet for future generations but could also bring about a great leap forward in gender equality.

Facts & Figures

According to one estimate, if all women smallholders received equal access to resources, their farm yields would rise by 20 to 30 percent, 100 to 150 million people would no longer go hungry, and carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by 2.1 gigatons by 2050 through improved farm practices.
Even though a third of women’s employment worldwide is in the agricultural sector, women represent only 12.6 percent of landowners. This lack of control over resources translates into women receiving only 10 percent of total aid for agriculture, forestry, and fishing.
Across the world, women carry out more than 75 percent of unpaid care work, or 3.2 times more than men. When climate-induced disasters hit, this figure only increases as women take on additional burdens to help their households and communities recover and rebuild (UNDP, 2023).
When the worst effects of climate change make land-based work impossible, women are often less able than men to turn to alternative forms of work. Nine in 10 countries worldwide have laws impeding women’s economic opportunities, such as those which bar women from factory jobs, working at night, or getting a job without permission from their husband (ActionAid, 2023).
More than a fifth of major corporations have pledged to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Yet few actively include or consider women in their climate action decisions and plans (Economist Impact, 2023).
200 million adolescent girls live in the world’s poorest countries and today, 700 million of those girls are married before the age of 18. In Malawi alone, it is estimated that more than 1.5 million girls marry early as a direct result of climate change.
According to IMF research, average female participation in the workforce is 20 percentage points lower than their male counterparts, largely because of a persistent lack of opportunities, particularly in accessing education (Trevelyan, 2021).
When extreme events occur poor women are 14 times more likely to die than men; this is due to factors including higher responsibilities at home, little decision-making power within the family, and lack of education or access to information… For example, when cyclone Gorky hit Bangladesh in 1991, 90 per cent of the fatalities were women; this percentage is not surprising considering that most women in the country cannot swim, that their movements are restricted by clothing and responsibilities for children, and that they face an increased risk of sexual and physical abuse outside of home, as shown by multiple studies (Castiglioni, 2020). 
If current trends in areas such as education and employment continue… climate mitigation and adaptation strategies as designed today could delay the attainment of gender equity by 15 to 20 years (Sqalli et al., 2021).

10 Solutions & Policies

It is crucial that we look at gender equality and climate change through a lens of intersectional feminism i.e. the way in which various forms of inequality often operate together and exacerbate eachother. This allows humanitarian programmes to take into account sexual and gender diversity when addressing structural change (UN Women, 2022).
Recognise the critical role women play in responding to climate change. Their local knowledge of and leadership in sustainable resource management and/or leading sustainable practices at a household and community level ensures success for grassroots resistance. It is proven that women in leadership roles both at a political and local level has improved responsiveness to citizens needs, increased cooperation across party and ethnic lines, delivered sustainable peace and improved the outcomes of climate related projects/policies (United Nations Climate Change, 2023).
Work alongside the world’s poorest nations to support women to take on leadership roles. Their voices should be helping to guide the discourse on addressing the climate crisis. Where women are empowered to participate in decision-making, entire communities benefit (ActionAid, 2023).
Businesses and major corporations must include gender mainstreaming in their process of assessing and responding to climate change due to the differentiated implications for women and men in any planned climate action. “It is not simply about adding a “gender equality” component to a planned activity—it is about thinking differently” (Economist Impact, 2023).
“On average, women have smaller carbon footprints than men, more-responsible attitudes towards climate change, and greater interest in protecting the environment”. We should be channelling this awareness and empathy into inspiring girls and women to pursue STEM careers linked to innovation in climate change and sustainable technology.
Report on ESG performance. It is important not to forget the S in ESG. Through ESG transparency and embedding SDG’s into corporate reporting we can ensure the continued empowerment of women and girls (Gloor et al., 2022).
Investing in participatory, multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral Climate Change Gender Action Plans can help countries to develop comprehensive action that integrates gender concerns and builds on women’s unique knowledge and perspectives. This must translate into equal access to climate finance (IUCN, 2015).
Invest in women and girls. By investing in climate insurance, resilient crops and time-saving techniques women farmers will experience a boost in both productivity and gender equality. This can be extended yet further when investments are made in businesses which support biodiversity such as sustainable forestry or sustainable agriculture. For those women working in rural agricultural communities investments in off-grid renewable energy and clean energy solutions can both save them crucial hours in the day, support female entrepreneurs and address gender inequality all whilst tackling climate change (Westman, 2020).
“Commitment to gender equality in the design and implementation of migration, climate change adaptation and DRR policies and programmes can help address the environmental drivers of migration and increase the resilience and adaptation of communities at large, while also helping to address the root causes of vulnerability” (Castiglioni, 2020) (Castiglioni, 2020). 
Education and role models for young girls and women. Education plays a key role in addressing gender inequality and with the green industrial revolution just beginning opportunities for green jobs could reach 250,000. Ensuring that women are equipped with the skills, knowledge, means and motivation to access these opportunities will help to turn gender inequality on its head. In this it is also important to expose young women and girls to positive female role models who are already working and achieving success in the green sector (NCFE, 2023).

CONCLUSION

The fight to contain climate change is intrinsically linked to the continuing battle to solidify gender equality across the globe. Without the active involvement of women and girls from every nation, culture, ethnicity and socio-economic background in the policy making process we are doomed to failure. The unique insights, capacity for adaptation and resilience and proven effectiveness of women in leadership roles could enthuse a tremendous amount of energy, direction and advancement into the climate movement. In a world that has continuously undervalued, underestimated and underrepresented women and girls this climate crisis could prove to be a turning point wherein we all realise the value of the wisdom they have accumulated from those experiences. We can no longer allow young girls to become victims of climate change as they are forced into child marriage due to their families being unable to feed them. We can no longer allow young women to leave school early in order to walk miles to collect water and firewood each day. We can no longer allow women to experience heightened levels of domestic abuse and violence as they are forced to migrate from their homes when land becomes untenable or to eek out a living on land which cannot feed their family. We can no longer allow women to die at disproportionate levels from natural disasters as they attempt to flee their homes in the wake of floods, cyclones or drought. This short fact sheet in no way denies or seeks to undermine the severe and devastating impacts climate change has on men and boys, instead it aims to exhibit how empowering women to contribute to climate resilience and adaptation policies and programmes can in fact benefit everybody. The arduous march to slow down, halt and turn back climate change requires the combined efforts of every human being on planet earth, ensuring global gender equality is a crucial part of that effort.

REFERENCES

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Castiglioni, M. (2020, 03 23). 3 ways in which gender equality interlinks with climate migration... Environmental Migration Portal. https://environmentalmigration.iom.int/blogs/3-ways-which-gender-equality-interlinks-climate-migration-adaptation-strategy-exploring-links-between-migration-environment-and-sdg-5

Economist Impact. (2023, January 9). Gender inequality and climate change are not separate challenges. Economist Impact. https://impact.economist.com/sustainability/social-sustainability/gender-inequality-and-climate-change-are-not-separate-challenges

Gloor, J. L., Mestre, E. B., Post, C., & Ruigrok, W. (2022, July 26). We Can't Fight Climate Change Without Fighting for Gender Equity. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2022/07/we-cant-fight-climate-change-without-fighting-for-gender-equity

Goodman, J., & Prater, T. (2020, December 15). Tackling gender inequality is ‘crucial’ for climate adaptation. Carbon Brief. https://www.carbonbrief.org/tackling-gender-inequality-is-crucial-for-climate-adaptation/

IUCN. (2015, 11). Gender and climate change - resource. IUCN. https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-brief/gender-and-climate-change

NCFE. (2023). How can education help advance gender equality in climate change? NCFE. https://www.ncfe.org.uk/all-articles/how-can-education-help-advance-gender-equality-in-climate-change/

Sqalli, Z., Unnikrishnan, S., Mejri, N., Dupoux, P., George, R., & Zrikem, Y. (2021, October 29). Why Climate Action Needs a Gender Focus. Boston Consulting Group. https://www.bcg.com/publications/2021/climate-action-impact-on-gender-equality

Trevelyan, A.-M. (2021, 09). Advancing Gender Equality through Climate Action. International Monetary Fund. https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/fandd/issues/2021/09/advancing-gender-equality-through-climate-action-COP26-trevelyan

UNDP. (2023, February 28). What does gender equality have to do with climate change? | Climate Promise. UNDP Climate Promise. https://climatepromise.undp.org/news-and-stories/what-does-gender-equality-have-do-climate-change

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Westman, M. (2020, June 5). Development Solutions: How to fight climate change with gender equality. European Investment Bank. https://www.eib.org/en/essays/climate-change-gender-investment