What does climate change have to do with
women, peace, and security? A lot.
The
fields of climate change and Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) are often viewed
as separate from one another. The sooner we acknowledge that they are
inextricably linked, the sooner we can take synergistic action.
By Clara Chiu and Jessica Smith
The
landmark UN Security Council Resolution 1325 formalized the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda.
The WPS Agenda affirms the critical role of women in addressing security
threats, and calls for women’s equal participation in conflict prevention,
conflict resolution, and peacebuilding efforts. Climate change is increasingly
recognized as a security threat. It drives insecurity both through direct negative
impacts on environmental systems and through secondary risks such as
political instability, population displacements, poverty, and hunger. Despite this reality, only about one in four WPS National Action Plans make a direct reference to
climate. For the most effective response to the security threat posed by
climate change, we must leverage frameworks such as the WPS Agenda to recognize
the disproportionate impacts of climate change on women and the security
threats they pose. The WPS Agenda also offers a valuable tool to ensure women’s
meaningful participation in climate interventions.
The impacts of climate change are not gender neutral
The
climate crisis is the existential threat of our time. Research shows that, around the world, climate change is creating uneven burdens on women. Just as the impacts of conflict are not gender
neutral, the same is true of the impacts of climate change. Pre-existing
vulnerabilities and patterns of discrimination rooted in structural
inequalities create disproportionate impacts for women and other marginalized groups who are less able to absorb
and recover from climate shocks. For example, it has been recordedthat
women are 14 times more likely than men to die in natural disasters. Today,
natural disasters are occurring more than
three times as often as they
were just 50 years ago.
The
gendered impacts of climate change in many ways mirror the same vulnerabilities women face in situations of
conflict. For example, in Somalia,
shifting precipitation patterns due to climate change leads to water scarcity
and contributes to higher rates of clan violence and honor killings, which
particularly harm women. Early marriage rates also rise as families cope with livelihood insecurity. As
climate stressors displace people into IDP camps, rates of sexual violence rise.
Furthermore,
it is well-documented that around the world women are responsible for a
disproportionate share of unpaid labor, including providing water and fuel for
households. More time spent on these activities due to climate change can
increase the exposure of women and girls to gender-based violence. It also has
implications for women’s economic empowerment and their ability to pursue paid
work, as well as opportunities for girls to stay enrolled in school. In Guatemala, for example, women now dedicate up to eight hours per day searching for water, almost double the time and
distance required during normal years.
Women are key actors in addressing the climate crisis
Women
are key actors in addressing drivers of insecurity and fostering peace and
stability in their countries. Analysis from the Georgetown Institute for Women,
Peace and Security’s 2021-2022 Global Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Index
report, which measures women’s
wellbeing in 170 countries, found that countries that score better on the WPS
Index are also more peaceful and stable. Given that climate change is a
security threat, it is unsurprising that this same report found that countries
that score better on the WPS Index are less vulnerable to climate change and
are better prepared to respond to its impacts. This further underscores why looking at these issues together is critical to effective action and how investing in
women can accelerate progress on both climate, security, and gender equality.
Despite
a growing evidence base that inclusive approaches generate better outcomes,
gender-responsive climate interventions remain significantly under-resourced.
According to a report by
the United Nations Development Programme, only 0.01% of funding worldwide
supports projects that address both climate and women’s rights. Efforts to
address the climate crisis and the forms of insecurity it creates will not
reach their full potential without women. Funding must be rapidly scaled up and
mechanisms must be in place to ensure these resources reach women and
communities most affected by climate impacts. The WPS field can play a central
role in these efforts to build a more secure future. Gender-responsive climate
interventions can serve as a “benefit multiplier” that bolster women’s economic
empowerment and role in decision-making, which has the potential to positively
impact not only the climate crisis, but also strengthen efforts to advance the
Women, Peace and Security Agenda.
Here are five key areas of action to
support inclusive climate action.
- Address barriers to
inclusion. Climate interventions should
be informed by an intersectional gender analysis to ensure that women have
equal access to participation in these initiatives.
- Ensure that women
have access to education and to information. Women need appropriate education and resources, including access
to technology and information, as well as education around how climate
change can impact their livelihoods and why transitioning to more
sustainable practices can be greatly beneficial.
- Position women as
leaders. Women have an influential role to
play as leaders, decision-makers, and entrepreneurs in project design and
implementation. Rather than being viewed as solely beneficiaries of
climate interventions, women should be positioned as the key actors they
are.
- Fill knowledge gaps. Diverse case studies and data related to women’s
contributions to climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts are
severely lacking, and development institutions as well as academics have
an important role to play in filling these critical knowledge gaps by
collecting more data.
- Leverage existing frameworks. The WPS Agenda provides a framework for centering women in global peace and security efforts and accounting for the unique impacts of conflict and crises on women. Integrating climate security into WPS efforts is a critical step to successfully address the security threats posed by climate change and bolster women’s meaningful participation in solutions.
0 Comments
We are open to listening to your comment.