Women’s Place In The Fight Against Climate Change

Climate change, global warming, the climate crisis, or whatever you want to call it, is one of our time’s most significant and pressing issues. Without doing something to prevent it, we face unprecedented changes to our daily lives, some of which we are already starting to experience, like the recent heat waves in London, and some of which we haven’t, like drought, food scarcity, and even more natural disasters worldwide. These symptoms of climate change and more are growing, and tackling them will require extensive cooperation, policy implementation, and innovation on a global scale. 

Although climate change is a global issue that affects everyone, women are disproportionately affected and, therefore, must be involved in the solution. In the words of USAID administrator Samantha Power, “Climate change is sexist; our response shouldn’t be.” Women’s unique experience allows them to be some of our biggest innovators for and advocates against climate change. When women get politically engaged with climate change, they make a difference. However, women often face more barriers to getting their voices heard and have less access to land, credit, agricultural inputs, government positions, technology, and training than men do, which puts them at a disadvantage.

An Unequal Burden

Women face an unexpectedly large and underappreciated burden of climate change. Studies show that women and girls are disproportionately affected, likely because they account for most of the world’s poor and are, therefore, more likely to depend on threatened natural resources (Osman-Elasha, 2009). The United Nations (2024) reports that when extreme weather disasters strike, women are 14 times more likely to die than men, further estimating that women make up 80% of those who have been displaced by climate change.

Change Agents, with Limitations

One approach to curbing climate change is through governmental regulations, and as women are more at risk from climate change, it is imperative that they are involved in developing regulations. The Paris Agreement recognised this, including the global need to empower women in climate decision-making (TIME Staff, 2019). Should this come to be, women could be politically empowered to make the necessary changes to protect the populace, and the “vulnerable” female population (Osman-Elasha, 2009), from the effects of climate change. With women breaking into decision-making roles, whether that be through scientific, boardroom, or governmental roles, women will be involved in areas where a difference can be made.

Studies show that countries with higher proportions of women in parliament are more likely to support climate action and sustainability, such as ratifying environmental treaties, adopting climate policies, and improving energy efficiency (United Nations, 2024). Therefore, the more we promote women and include them in politics, the more progress we can make in tackling the climate crisis. Imagine what the world would look like if governments everywhere had balanced genders and how much of a difference that would make. 

Unfortunately, most people alive today will never reap the benefits of a large number of women ruling in democratic governments. Only about 26% of the world’s national parliament members are women, and only six countries have 50% or more women in parliament (UN Women, 2024).

Businesses with better environmental reporting and climate governance also tend to be gender diverse and usually invest more in renewable power generation, energy, and efficiency than their counterparts (United Nations, 2024). This is likely because women are included on the board, demonstrating how women are stepping up in the political arena and beyond to tackle climate change. 

Part of the problem is that women face more discrimination and sexism than their male peers and, therefore, face more adverse obstacles when pursuing political or business roles. By excluding women from these positions, climate change is viewed through a male-dominated lens, increasing the chance that women and their needs will be left out of the equation. This leads many women to fight for climate change outside of the political sphere.

Nurturers of the Environment

Women in poor areas have intimate knowledge of water harvesting and storage, food preservation and rationing, sustainable agriculture, and natural resources management. These are valuable tools that can be harnessed to combat climate change. We should turn to these women for ideas on how to build sustainable practices. For example, if women had the same resources as men, they could increase farm yields by 20-30%, feeding an additional 100 to 150 million people (United Nations, 2024). 

Women are often viewed as nurturers and are, therefore, seen as closely related to “Mother Earth.” This may be why women are more likely to recycle, minimise waste, buy organic food and eco-friendly labelled products, and save water and energy in the household (United Nations, 2024). In wealthier societies, women drive 70-80% of all consumer purchasing decisions and thereby can lead the charge towards more sustainable lifestyles (United Nations, 2024). By putting our money where our mind is, women can show businesses and government that they care about the climate and encourage companies, communities and countries to move toward more economical, climate-friendly products.  

We should champion women and girls in the battle against climate change, especially because they are already on the frontline. Data proves time and time again that women are the key to combating climate change. When they are involved in government, they tremendously influence climate change by curbing emissions at home and influencing powers abroad. Women in business show the world that they mean business by demonstrating ways to be more environmentally friendly. Women have a powerful collective voice that can influence politics and consumerism and lead inspired protests. 

 

References:

Flicker (2022). Administrator Samantha Power Delivers Address on Global Food Security Crisis. Flicker.

Osman-Elasha, B. (2009). Women…In the Shadow of Climate Change. [online] United Nations. Available at: https://www.un.org/en/chronicle/article/womenin-shadow-climate-change.

TIME Staff (2019). Meet 15 Women Leading the Fight Against Climate Change. [online] Time. Available at: https://time.com/5669038/women-climate-change-leaders/.

UN Women (2024). Facts and figures: Women’s Leadership and Political Participation. [online] UN Women – Headquarters. Available at: https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/leadership-and-political-participation/facts-and-figures#83880.

UN Women Headquarters (2023). Women in politics: 2023. [PDF] UN Women. Available at: https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2024/06/poster-women-political-leaders-2024.

United Nations (2024). Why Women Are Key to Climate Action. [online] United Nations. Available at: https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/women.

USAID From The American People (2023). Administrator Samantha Power’s Remarks for Gender & Climate Dialogue: The State Fragility Nexus | August 09, 2021 | U.S. Agency for International Development. [online] U.S. Agency for International Development. Available at: https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/speeches/aug-09-2021-administrator-samantha-powers-remarks-gender-climate-dialogue-state-fragility-nexus [Accessed 14 Aug. 2024].