International Women's Day – the gender politics of climate change

The lead up to International Women’s Day got us thinking about how gender affects people’s experience of the climate crisis. As a sustainability consultancy, we are well aware of the far-reaching impacts of the environmental emergency and that it is vulnerable groups who suffer the greatest consequences. Women are playing a pivotal role in raising awareness of sustainability issues and driving change, yet as a disadvantaged group, they are at the same time disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis.

There is growing evidence that women and girls are far more susceptible to climate-related impacts than men. Whilst we celebrate the role that female activists like Greta Thunberg play in forging a more sustainable future, we must not forget those millions of women who are marginalised and living with the day to day consequences of global warming.

According to the United Nations (UN), women are bearing the brunt of climate change, largely because they represent the majority of the world's poor and are proportionally more dependent on threatened natural resources. Discrimination also dictates that they have less access to the money, land, technology, and political influence needed to adapt to a warming planet. In many parts of the world, females are denied access to a decent education and have very little agency when it comes to making key decisions.

Particularly in rural areas, women and girls are responsible for feeding their families and travelling miles to access diminishing fuel and water supplies. Climate change makes many of these tasks far more challenging. At the same time, climate change has been described as a “threat multiplier”, accentuating social, political and economic tensions. Scarcity of resources leads to greater levels of conflict and migration which then increases risks of sexual violence.

We must re-double our efforts to tackle gender inequalities and empower women take the lead in adapting to climate change and mitigating some of the most severe consequences. Barriers must come down and obstacles removed if women are to play a fuller role in combating the climate emergency.

Unless women are allowed to fulfil their potential, humanity stands little chance of finding ways of operating within our planetary boundaries. Women have invaluable knowledge of their local communities and environments and that knowledge will be pivotal in meeting the challenges ahead. Those who are most affected by the climate crisis must sit at the heart of the process for finding solutions.

International Women’s Day in 2022 celebrated the contribution of women and girls as climate solution multipliers. It highlighted how advancing gender equality in the context of the climate crisis remains one of our greatest challenges in sustainability. We must keep that issue at the forefront of everyone’s mind and help women forge their own sustainable futures by giving them power to influence political decisions and harnessing their talents and skills.

Chrysalis Youth Empowerment Network - Sponsor a young woman

One of the charities we have supported since 2009 empowers girls and young women by educating them and equipping them with the knowledge and skills to become changemakers. This is achieved by teaching them practical skills on how to become entrepreneurs and leaders.

Chrysalis Youth Empowerment Network (www.chrysalis.online ) recruits young people to its Butterfly Programme from an early age. As well as supporting their formal education through schooling, the Butterfly Programme provides training in innovative ways to help the young people, particularly women, to become critical thinkers, to develop strong leadership skills and acquire life skills that will support them, their families and their communities. CYEN needs sponsors for this year’s cohort of Butterflies.

As part of your sustainability actions, and to contribute towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals, you can take action on International Women’s Day by pledging your support to educate and train a young girl and empower her to become a change maker?

I would be happy to discuss my own journey with CYEN and all the amazing progress that the charity and its projects have made over the years. Send me a direct message or email me: [email protected]

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