WOMENS RIGHTS
Women more vulnerable to climate change than men
Throughout the world, inequalities remain between women and men, whether at work, in health or in sport.
And climate change accentuates this observation.
In many parts of the world, women and girls are seeing their way of life disrupted.
Climate change worsens women's hunger and poverty.
(Illustrative photo) Pixabay/skeeze
By: Jeanne Richard Follow
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Each year, we see “
nearly $37 billion in additional losses for women due to rising temperatures and $16 billion due to flooding
,” compared to men.
This is the result of a new study by FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
It is in fact women who are most often in the fields, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (66%) or South Asia (71%), and depend on agriculture for their survival.
However, agriculture is bearing the brunt of climate change.
In extreme weather conditions, women can therefore quickly lose their means of subsistence.
Worldwide, 84.2 million more women and girls than men are food insecure, in part because of climate change, according to the
NGO Care
.
“The impact of climate change is experienced every day”
In developing countries, it is also women who are responsible for fetching water, charcoal or firewood.
However, these tasks are also complicated in the event of drought or flooding.
“
When I see my field flooded, or when I see that the rain goes away before the fields are ripe, and that I have to go miles to look for water, go in search of firewood because the forest is retreating... Sometimes you don't know what you're going to eat tomorrow!
», testifies Pauline Neyom Toukoua Djaba, who grows corn, cowpeas and peanuts in Pala in Chad.
“
Women depend on the natural resources that they take every day, and therefore, the impact of climate change is experienced every day in my own life and that of the women I support
,” continues the woman who runs the NGO AFAP, which supports women and helps them find other income.
14 times more likely to die
Climate change has other consequences.
First, access to education: when you have to walk for hours to find water, as Pauline Neyom Toukoua Djaba testifies, it is difficult to go to school.
Four million young girls from poor countries have not been able to complete their schooling due to climate-related events,
according to a 2021 study
, notes
Courrier international.
In times of difficulty, poor families are also more likely to sell or marry off their daughters.
Researchers have estimated that during a month of heatwave in Bangladesh, early marriages increased by 50%.
Finally, in many societies, cultural norms, religious norms, and family responsibilities prevent women from emigrating, seeking refuge in other places, or seeking employment when disaster strikes.
According to figures compiled by the UN, women and children are 14 times more likely than men to die during a climate disaster.
Until now, it was geographic inequalities, between rich and poor countries, that attracted attention.
It is urgent to take an interest in gender discrimination in the face of climate, underlines Courrier international.
Also readHow does global warming affect women more?
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