Emerging countries need women-led climate action – Gender Equality and Environmental Goals: A Mutual Reinforcement for Sustainable Development Goals | 5 September 2023 | UPSC Daily Editorial Analysis

What's the article about?

• It talks about acknowledging and addressing the gender-environment nexus.

Relevance:

• GS3: Environment
• Essay

Context:

• Climate change is a significant global challenge that has profound consequences for humans.
• The effects of climate change vary according to location, socioeconomic status, and gender.
• Women across the world face severe risks to their health, safety, and quality of life.
• However, women in developing and less developed countries (especially in low-income areas) are more vulnerable to climate change because of their dependence on natural resources and labour-intensive work for their livelihood.

Analysis:

• Impact of Climate Change on Women:
  • Women from low-income households are more at risk because they are more responsible for food, water, and other homely unpaid work.
  • Rural women often shoulder the burden of ensuring access to clean water, adequate cooking fuel, and nutritious food for their families.
  • Women may be at increased risk for health and safety because they must travel long distances every day to collect water and fuel.
  • Women in low-income countries (predominantly South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa) engage in climate-vulnerable occupations such as farming and other labour-intensive work.
• Gender-Specific Issues:
  • According to a UN study, most (80%) of those displaced by climate-related disasters are women and girls.
  • Women, especially those from vulnerable communities, face particular difficulties during and after natural disasters.
  • Women make up a disproportionately large portion of the agricultural workforce in emerging countries.
  • Climate change impacts agricultural productivity negatively and significantly.
  • Climate change impacts can particularly exacerbate poverty and socioeconomic vulnerabilities among women.
• Invest in Women’s Education and Training:
  • Investments in women’s education, training, and access to resources are essential if we are to be resilient to the impact of climate change.
  • Reduce the negative impacts of climate change on people’s living standards by teaching them how to practise sustainable agriculture, water management, and energy generation.
  • Women’s participation in climate policy decision-making at all levels is crucial for effective climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies as well as getting decent employment.

Way Forward:

• Gender equality and environmental goals are mutually reinforcing and create a virtuous circle that will help accelerate the achievement of the SDGs. Developing and emerging countries urgently need women-led climate action.