Modern Age Solution to Climate Change
Context:
- The pursuit of gender equality and environmental objectives is mutually beneficial and will hasten the accomplishment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Climate change effects:
- One of the largest worldwide challenges in recent decades is the influence of climate change, which has serious effects on humans.
- According to a 2019 report by the International Labour Organisation, excessive heat will cause 2.2 percent of all working hours worldwide in 2030, resulting in a productivity loss of 80 million full-time employment.
- In a 2009 report, the United Nations noted that, regardless of gender, women are thought to be much more susceptible to the effects of climate change than men.
More noticeable in low-income nations:
- However, due to their reliance on natural resources and labor-intensive employment for a living, women in developing and less developed countries (particularly in low-income areas) are more vulnerable to climate change.
- One of several social, economic, and cultural factors that renders women more vulnerable to the effects of climate change is that they are more likely than males to live in poverty.
- Due to their greater responsibility for providing food, water, and other household duties that are not paid, women from low-income homes are more at risk.
- Because of this, rural women are disproportionately affected by climate change.
- Women work in climate-vulnerable industries including farming and other labor-intensive jobs in low-income nations (mostly South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa).
- Over 60% of working women in southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are still employed in agriculture, where they are frequently underpaid and overworked, according to the ILO.
- Women own only approximately 10% of the land used for farming, despite being the backbone of the food production system.
Issues particular to gender:
- 80% of individuals displaced by climate-related disasters are women and girls, according to a UN report.
- For instance, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) discovered women were more vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation after the 2015 earthquake in Nepal.
Impacts on food security and agriculture:
- Workers in this industry are greatly impacted by heat stress, particularly in South Asia and Africa.
- The issues don’t stop with shifting precipitation patterns and an increase in extreme weather events.
- These populations experience disproportionately negative consequences on crop output and food security, and they already have a difficult time accessing resources, knowledge, and technology.
- Women who work in agriculture often lack technical knowledge and access to high-quality inputs.
- Additionally, numerous studies show how flooding has worsened water scarcity, violence against, and exploitation of women.
- The dangers associated with climate change, natural disasters, and food inflation are predicted to cause 130 million people to fall into poverty by 2050, which will have an effect on women’s inequality.
- If we want to be able to withstand the effects of climate change, we must invest in women’s access to resources, education, and training.
- By educating people on sustainable agriculture, water management, and energy production, we can lessen the detrimental effects of climate change on people’s living conditions.
- For instance, the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) teaches women farmers in India how to adapt to changing climatic trends in order to better sustain themselves.
Conclusion:
- Effective measures for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to them, as well as securing good jobs, depend on women’s engagement in climate policy decision-making at all levels. Gender balance in decision-making bodies is crucial since women are more at risk from climate change.
