Climate Change and Gender

The impacts of climate change are distributed differently among regions, generations, age classes, income groups, occupations and genders. The poor, the majority of whom are women living in developing countries, will be disproportionately affected by climate change. Because climate change affects women and men differently, a gender equality perspective is essential both for mitigation and for adaptation.

Climate change and gender inequalities are inextricably linked. By exacerbating inequality, climate change slows progress toward gender equality and thus impedes efforts to achieve poverty reduction and sustainable development. In addition, gender inequality can worsen the impacts of climate change.

The specific vulnerability of women reflects historically and culturally specific patterns of relations in social institutions, culture, and personal (Enarson, 1998).

Women are not just helpless victims – they are powerful agents of change, and their leadership is critical. Women can help or hinder strategies related to energy use, deforestation, population, economic growth, science and technology, and policy making, etc. Therefore taking steps to narrow the gender gap and empower women can help reduce the climate change impacts.