Gender Disparity and Climate Change – Addressing the Disproportionate Effects of Climate Change on Women

Abstract

There is increasing awareness of gender disparity in relation to the negative effects of climate change. With that increasing awareness comes greater focus on how national and international policy frameworks are not sufficiently gender-responsive and do not sufficiently consider the disparity between genders. Climate change has a greater impact on those sections of the population that are most reliant on natural resources for their livelihoods, and these sections are often from poorer groups. At the same time, those same sections of the global population usually have the least capacity to respond to natural hazards, such as droughts, landslides, floods and hurricanes. The majority of the world's poor are women and consequently, those women commonly face higher risks and greater burdens from the impacts of climate change. Where women are denied equal participation in decision-making processes and labour markets, these inequalities often prevent women from contributing meaningfully to climate-related planning, policy-making and implementation. Governments and international organisations need to develop new frameworks, policies and legislation, particularly in relation to the provision of cleaner energies which involve cooperation with women to ensure that realistic solutions are introduced and implemented.