Why is gender equality crucial for tackling climate change?......The climate crisis is the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced. To tackle it, countries need to take urgent action to transition to low-carbon, resilient economies and societies, while advancing sustainable development priorities. Structural inequalities such as those based on gender, race, ethnicity, age or socio-economic background are a barrier to this transition, restraining the agency of individuals and communities to contribute to and benefit from climate action. To make matters worse, unequal access to climate change mitigation and adaptation solutions can compound or even exacerbate these inequalities, both within and between countries.
This is why a rights-based approach, centred on empowerment, inclusion and equity, is necessary for climate action to succeed. Advancing gender equality is a critical part of this approach. By integrating gender-responsive measures into national climate plans, countries can address the distinct needs and adaptive capacities of women and men in the face of climate change impacts. They can also harness the abilities, knowledge and leadership of both women and men, while ensuring that benefits are shared equally.
How does climate change impact women and girls differently? The climate crisis, just like nearly every other humanitarian and development challenge, has a greater impact on women and girls, particularly those in vulnerable or marginalized situations.BThis imbalance stems from the unequal sharing of power and resources between women and men, the gender gap in access to education and employment opportunities, the uneven distribution of unpaid care work, the prevalence of gender-based violence, and all other forms of deep-rooted gender-based discrimination.
In many parts of the world, women rely on climate-sensitive work like agriculture to earn a living. Yet, despite playing a significant role in agricultural production, women farmers often do not have equal access to resources, technologies, services and information about adaptation measures, cropping patterns and weather events. In turn, this translates into diminished productivity and wages and increased exposure and vulnerability to climate change impacts. Climate change impacts can also reduce access to education and the labour market for women and girls. Girls are often the first to be pulled out of education when climate shocks occur and families struggle with limited resources or an increased volume of unpaid care work. Similarly, an increasing incidence of extreme weather events can raise women’s share of household responsibilities, thus prompting them to exit the labour market. Some estimates show that climate change will push up to 158 million more women and girls into poverty by 2050.
Women’s health is also negatively affected by climate change, especially in countries where gender disparities in access to healthcare already exist. Women are at increased risk of heat-related deaths and are particularly vulnerable during pregnancy, when rising heat, air pollution and food and water insecurity can lead to birth complications. In the aftermath of extreme weather events, which are becoming more frequent and more intense because of climate change, women and girls can be particularly vulnerable and are less likely to be able to access quality services essential for their safety and recovery. Moreover, climate change is increasingly multiplying security risks, especially in contexts that are already fragile or affected by conflict. When conflicts occur, women and girls are particularly vulnerable due to ensuing loss of livelihoods, forced displacement, gender-based violence and the risk of sexual exploitation.
How does gender equality strengthen climate action?.....For climate policies and solutions to be effective, they must integrate gender equality and women’s empowerment considerations throughout. In agriculture, supporting women’s increased access to resources and information builds climate resilience and reduces the impacts of climate change on households and communities......read on https://climatepromise.undp.