Women, Climate, and Justice: Why Gender Equality Must Lead Global Action

Climate change escalates the risk of conflict over resources like water and arable land. In conflict zones, this can deepen political instability, leading to widespread violence.

Introduction: The Gendered Reality of the Climate Crisis

The climate crisis stands as one of the most significant challenges facing humanity today. It transcends environmental degradation, threatening to reverse decades of progress in sustainable development, public health, human rights, and economic stability. Yet, what is often overlooked is that climate change is far from a gender-neutral issue. It uniquely affects women and girls, especially those from marginalized communities, and exacerbates existing gender inequalities. To tackle the climate crisis effectively, it is crucial to embed gender justice and equity at the heart of global climate action.

How Climate Change Disproportionately Impacts Women and Girls

1. Resource Scarcity and Gendered Responsibilities

In many parts of the world, especially in rural and low-income communities, women bear the primary responsibility for managing household resources such as water, food, and fuel. As climate change intensifies, these resources become scarcer. Droughts, deforestation, and erratic rainfall patterns push women and girls to travel longer distances for water and fuel, often in unsafe conditions. This additional burden not only affects their health and safety but can also force girls out of school to assist with domestic chores.

2. Health and Safety Threats

Climate change directly affects maternal and neonatal health. Rising global temperatures and climate-induced disasters compromise access to health services, increasing maternal and infant mortality rates. Extreme heat has been linked to stillbirths, while changing weather patterns accelerate the spread of vector-borne diseases like malaria and dengue.

Additionally, in disaster-hit areas, access to relief is often unequal. Pre-existing gender norms limit women’s mobility, decision-making power, and access to life-saving information, leaving them more vulnerable to injury and death during extreme weather events. After disasters, women are less likely to receive aid and are more at risk of gender-based violence.

Climate as a “Threat Multiplier” for Gender-Based Inequality

1. Conflict and Violence

Climate change escalates the risk of conflict over resources like water and arable land. In conflict zones, this can deepen political instability, leading to widespread violence. Women and girls in such fragile contexts are at greater risk of sexual violence, human trafficking, and early marriage.

2. Food Insecurity and Poverty

According to the Gender Snapshot 2024, climate change may push 158 million more women and girls into poverty by 2050—16 million more than their male counterparts. Today, 47.8 million more women than men already face food insecurity. When food becomes scarce, societal norms often dictate that women eat last and least, compromising their health and well-being.

Intersectional Feminism and Climate Risk

Climate impacts are not uniform among all women. An intersectional lens reveals that Indigenous women, Afro-descendant communities, older women, women with disabilities, LGBTIQ+ individuals, migrants, and those in conflict-prone areas face compounded vulnerabilities.

As Matcha Phorn-in, a human rights defender in Thailand, emphasizes, “If you are invisible in everyday life, your needs will not be thought of, let alone addressed, in a crisis.” Humanitarian programs that overlook gender and sexual diversity risk reinforcing patriarchal structures and failing the most marginalized.

Stories of Resilience and Leadership: Women at the Forefront of Climate Solutions

While women face disproportionate risks, they are also powerful agents of change. Across the globe, women-led initiatives are creating community-based climate solutions that are sustainable and resilient.

Case Study: The “Conchera” Women of Tumaco, Colombia

In Colombia’s Pacific coastal region, women traditionally harvest a mollusk called piangu. When local mangroves—the habitat for piangu—started disappearing, the women of the Raíces del Manglar Association took action. They initiated a mangrove reforestation program, not only restoring ecosystems but also preserving livelihoods, filtering water, and capturing carbon.

This grassroots effort has empowered women with skills in business planning and financial literacy while fostering environmental stewardship. As Magnolia Ordoñez, a leader in the initiative, says, “We have learned resilience from the mangroves… It has given us new hope.”

What Needs to Be Done: From Feminist Climate Justice to Global Policy

1. Center Women in Climate Decision-Making

Women remain underrepresented in climate negotiations, national policy-making, and environmental governance. Inclusive representation ensures that climate strategies are equitable, comprehensive, and better informed by those most affected.

2. Invest in Gender-Responsive Climate Finance

Most climate funding fails to consider gender. Investment in projects that empower women—especially in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and care work—can build climate resilience and reduce poverty. Green jobs must be made accessible to women through education, training, and access to capital.

3. Support Indigenous and Local Knowledge Systems

Many Indigenous communities have stewarded natural ecosystems for generations. Their knowledge systems offer crucial insights into sustainable living and climate adaptation. Protecting Indigenous rights and supporting women leaders in these communities should be a policy priority.

4. Mainstream Intersectionality in Humanitarian Response

Climate response frameworks must address overlapping vulnerabilities. Policies and programs need to be inclusive of all genders, ages, and abilities to ensure no one is left behind in crisis responses.

Conclusion: Toward an Equitable Climate Future

As the world marks 30 years since the Beijing Platform for Action, the call for gender-inclusive climate action is more urgent than ever. The path to a sustainable, climate-resilient world depends on addressing the structural inequalities that perpetuate both environmental and gender injustices.

Empowering women and girls isn’t just a moral imperative—it’s a practical necessity for climate resilience. Their leadership, lived experiences, and innovative solutions are essential in crafting a just, inclusive, and sustainable future for all. To fight climate change effectively, we must amplify their voices, support their leadership, and invest in their futures.