Climate Change And The Impact It Has On Gender
By Cameron Sweeney and Kieran Hunter
“It is women, girls and those who are already most marginalised (treated as insignificant), that will be most severely impacted by climate change. But they also have a critical role to play to address the climate crisis.” – Anne-Marie Trevalyn, UK international champion on adaptation and resilience for the COP26 presidency.
Climate change has a varying effect on differing sections of the population. Women typically face higher risks and bear greater consequences at the hands of climate change. Women’s unequal involvement in climate decision making often stops them from fully taking part in climate change policies and governments when they are making decisions. The climate crisis also poses a major threat to girls education, as climate related disasters disrupt nearly 40 million children’s education every year.
Below are some quick facts to do with climate change in relation to gender inequality:
- Women and children make up 80% of those displaced (moved around – usually having to leave their homes) by climate related disasters
- A contributing reason for women being affected more than men is the fact that globally more women live in poverty and face poorer conditions
- At the local scale, women’s participation (although limited) in leadership roles have resulted in improved outcomes (results) of climate related projects and policies
- If policies are put in place without female participation, it can lead to an increase in existing inequalities and decreased effectiveness of climate related policies
Ways in which measures have been put in place to balance the scale of gender inequality:
- The UK government has been urging countries from all around the world to put gender inequality ‘at the heart of climate change’ in order with gender action plan COP25 settled in 2019. This came with a designated focus on balancing climate related gender inequalities
- Two new programmes have been introduced to further women’s role in climate leadership and support those most vulnerable to climate change
- On gender day, Tuesday 9th November, the UK will announce £165 million to tackle climate change whilst also addressing the inequalities that make women and girls more vulnerable to climate change related risks, while empowering them to take action against climate change
- £165 million in UK funding will drive forward these aims:
-Up to £45 million to help empower local communities and women’s groups in Asia and Pacific to battle gender inequalities and adapt to the increasing impacts of climate change
-£120 million to build resilience, pollution prevention, protect ecosystems, enhance renewable energy methods, and better manage waste, while also supporting women’s leadership, financial accessibility, education and skills
sources-
https://unfccc.int/gender
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-boost-to-advance-gender-equality-in-climate-action
