Exploring the Intersections of Climate and Gender Justice
Climate change and gender inequality represent two pressing global challenges that are deeply intertwined. While climate change poses significant threats to ecosystems, economies, and societies worldwide, its impacts are not felt uniformly across different demographic groups. Gender disparities intersect with climate vulnerabilities, exacerbating the risks faced by women and marginalised communities. Understanding these intersections is essential for developing effective strategies to address both climate change and gender inequality simultaneously.
Read through our visual slideshow below on how these two global issues are intertwined, how the impacts of climate change are exacerbated by gender inequality for communities across the world, and what steps towards a sustainable future would look like:
More on Climate and Gender Inequality:
Feminist and queer rights activist Matcha Phorn-In says “If you are invisible in everyday life, your needs will not be thought of, let alone addressed, in a crisis” summarising the basis for why the climate crisis has disproportionate impacts on women and girls across the world.
During times of crises, especially natural disasters with rapid fluctuations in weather and climate patterns, the accessibility of resources such as adequate healthcare, safe housing, proper sanitation, food and water security, employment and economic stability is heavily reduced, many of such resources being already inaccessible in the day-to-day lives of minority communities. In short, climate change exacerbates the inequalities already faced by respective intersectional identities, like Indigenous women, women of colour, women with disabilities, migrant and refugee women, as well as those from regional, disaster-prone or low-income communities.
122 women between the ages of 25 and 34 live in poor households for every 100 men of the same age group
According to the World Bank and International Labour Organization (ILO), women are more likely to experience poverty due to factors such as unequal access to resources, education, and employment opportunities with the gender gap in poverty widening further as boys and girls get older. In rural areas of developing countries, where primarily women are responsible for agricultural activities and natural resource management, climate variability and environmental degradation pose significant threats to their livelihoods and well-being.
ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM:
Environmental racism refers to the disproportionate burden of environmental hazards and pollution borne by marginalised communities, particularly those of colour, low-income, or indigenous heritage. This form of systemic discrimination manifests through various mechanisms, as seen in countries such as the United States' zoning laws, land-use policies, and regulatory decisions leading to inequalities in environmental exposure and health outcomes.
Historically, marginalised communities have been targeted for the location of polluting industries and waste disposal sites due to factors such as lack of political representation, economic disempowerment, and racial discrimination.
Communities of colour, indigenous peoples, and low-income neighbourhoods often experience higher levels of pollution and environmental degradation, leading to adverse health effects such as respiratory illnesses, cancer, and reproductive disorders. For example, studies have shown that African American and Hispanic communities in the United States are more likely to be located near hazardous waste sites and industrial facilities compared to white communities, resulting in elevated risks of environmental health disparities.
For example, during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Black women in New Orleans faced disproportionate impacts due to inadequate evacuation plans, barriers to accessing emergency services due to road-mapping, and disparities in relief efforts, with women of colour being more likely to experience long-term displacement and economic hardship following such unprecedented climate disasters.
WOMEN'S EDUCATION & HEALTH CARE:
Climate-related disasters can lead to community-wide displacement and disruption that often manifests through a decrease in girls’ access to schooling and education as a key long-term impact. With a prioritisation of immediate needs for safety and shelter, a long-term effect of climate disasters, particularly in zones where such crises are prone, is that girls’ access to education is hindered.
According to UNICEF, approximately 130 million girls globally were out of school before the COVID-19 pandemic, with climate-related disruptions further widening the education gender gap.
Furthered through the immediate impacts of damaged infrastructure, ranging from roads to physical schools, women and girls are also often forced to bear heavy environmental stress in the aftermath of climate-related disasters. With added household responsibilities, ranging from caring for family members and helping with agricultural tasks to collecting water, such increased responsibilities heavily limit girls’ capacity to focus on education. Economic stressors that arise during climate crises such as crop failures, loss of livestock, or reduced employment opportunities can result in families prioritising boys' education over girls', perpetuating gender disparities in educational access and attainment. In contexts of environmental stress or displacement, girls may become more vulnerable to exploitation, including child labour, early marriage, and trafficking. These harmful practices can further hinder girls' access to education and perpetuate cycles of poverty and gender inequality.
Beyond these impacts, climate change heavily exacerbates health risks, especially in rural and regional areas through diseases ranging from non-life threatening impacts such as heat stress to fatal illnesses such as waterborne diseases and malnutrition. In regions where access to healthcare is limited, girls may face greater health risks and barriers to education due to climate-related health concerns, exacerbating the already present gender bias and discrimination within healthcare systems.
Particularly during climate disasters and environmental crises, women's sexual and reproductive health needs, including menstrual hygiene, maternal healthcare, and access to contraception are inadequately addressed within healthcare systems. Through impacting access to clean water and sanitation facilities, particularly in areas prone to droughts or flooding, climate crises and the lack of access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation can lead to health issues such as diarrhoea and hygiene-related illnesses.
This has been seen most recently amongst women and girls in Gaza, with genocides and wars being a fundamental environmental issue due to the large amounts of greenhouse emissions produced by weapons and the lasting impacts of contaminated land and water systems. The U.N. estimates around 700,000 women and girls in Gaza experience menstrual cycles but don't have adequate access now to basic hygiene products like pads, toilet paper or even running water and toilets because of the war, putting women and girls in Gaza at risk of reproductive and urinary tract infections.
Creating a sustainable future requires equitable solutions that prioritise the needs and rights of women and marginalised communities.
Women are not just victims of climate change; women are agents of change and resilience in their communities. As we strive towards a more just and sustainable world, the contributions of women in working together to create a future where everyone can thrive is an invaluable resource that we cannot overlook any longer.
The Path towards a Sustainable Future:
Strengthening institutional mechanisms for gender mainstreaming and climate governance is critical to ensuring that climate policies are effective in their implementation and monitoring. This involves establishing gender-responsive governance structures, fostering multi-stakeholder partnerships, and promoting accountability mechanisms that prioritise the needs and rights of women and marginalised groups.
Future research and solutions to both the climate crisis and its disproportionate impact on women and girls should focus on filling knowledge gaps and addressing emerging challenges at the nexus of climate change and gender inequality. This includes further exploring the intersectional dimensions of vulnerability and resilience, evaluating the effectiveness of gender-responsive policies and programs, and recognising the contributions of women and marginalised communities to climate adaptation and mitigation efforts, with an increasing emphasis on the need for transformative action led by women, for women at the local, national, and global levels to advance climate justice and gender equality goals.