Written by Meryem Kar
Edited by Mehak Bhatia & Emil Koch
The minute we are born, gender norms restrict our thoughts, activities, and emotions; however, a person defines their identity by their actions, regardless of gender. Unfortunately, some people believe they have a say in others' lives, meaning someone trying to be genuine might be attacked physically and mentally. For these reasons, there are still those who experience challenging circumstances today. It is important to note that no one should have any influence on another person's life, no matter what circumstances they live in.
Gender inequality describes the state of differing treatment of people depending on their gender, which occurs as a result of socially imposed gender norms. Stereotypes such as “A woman cannot work as hard as a man” or “A man should not cry and be emotional” limit a person's abilities because of their gender and lead to discrimination.
While climate change poses a serious threat to everyone, not all people will experience its effects equally. In fact, we see that climate change interacts with gender inequality. Here are some examples of gender inequality in climate change actions.
Unequal access of different genders to health services causes the incidence of climate change-related diseases such as malaria, allergic reactions, and avian flu between the genders.
Inaccessibility to education and job opportunities due to the gender gap causes people to become poor and decrease their standards of living. Hence, they are never protected from the damage caused by climate change.
Women are more vulnerable because they have less access to information on adaptation methods, agricultural patterns, and weather occurrences. According to estimates, if female small-scale farmers were to gain equitable access to resources, agricultural yields could rise by 20 to 30 percent, reducing hunger for 100 to 150 million people and possibly reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 2.1 gigatons by 2050 through improved farming practices.
In many countries, women lack representation when decisions related to climate change take place. For instance, In EU-level social partner organizations working in sectors related to environment and climate change, women are poorly represented in top positions on both sides of the social dialogue. Indeed, women account for only 17.6 % of members of the highest decision-making body and 26.1 % of executive heads across the 20 employee organizations. Nevertheless, some countries are trying to eliminate this inequality and put women in more decision-making situations. For example, Bhutan has trained Gender Focal Points from several ministries and women's groups, enabling them to efficiently plan and carry out activities for gender equality and addressing climate change.
Equal rights should be given to all genders in education and job opportunities in all fields, and stereotypes of gender should be demolished by unlearning the biases we hold. Access to information should be provided to those who lack the resources to stay informed on climate and agriculture. For bettering the world, we need strength in numbers and shouldn’t let prejudice stand in the way of a better future.
References:
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[1] What does gender equality have to do with climate change? (n.d.). UNDP Climate Promise. https://climatepromise.undp.org/news-and-stories/what-does-gender-equality-have-do-climate-change; (Accessed at 08/11/2023)
[2] Chiongjiaqian. (2023, June 12). the gender inequality - Chiongjiaqian - Medium. Medium. https://medium.com/@chiongjiaqian/the-gender-inequality-570d40a70533; (Accessed at 08/11/2023)
[3] Decision-making in environment and climate change: women woefully under-represented in the EU Member States. (2023, July 5). European Institute for Gender Equality. https://eige.europa.eu/gender-statistics/dgs/data-talks/decision-making-environment-and-climate-change-women-woefully-under-represented-eu-member-states#:~:text=In%20EU%2Dlevel,20%20employer%20organisation; (Accessed at 08/11/2023)
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Prasad, V. (2022). Non-regression in Climate action and the Rights of Present and Future Generations — World’s Youth for Climate Justice. https://www.wy4cj.org/our-blog/non-regression-in-climate-action-and-the-rights-of-present-and-future-generations; (08/11/23)