This IWD, we are with women in the fight against poverty and climate change.

Today, International Women’s Day (IWD) 2024, we acknowledge the millions of women who work around the world caring for and delivering aid to others. But despite the work of humanitarian agencies, staffed valiantly by men and women across the globe, the threat of climate change continues as one of the biggest contributing factors to humanitarian crisis.

Women continue to be disproportionately impacted by rising global temperatures, extreme weather and the resulting widespread poverty and inequality. In many countries, as the more vulnerable group, women are suffering due to increased food insecurity, dependence on others, lack of access to education and skills training and poor health services.

UN Women reports that:

“In a Worst-case Climate Path scenario (where average temperature rises are worse than current path suggests), by 2050 close to 160 million women and girls globally may be pushed into poverty as a direct result of climate change” 

Increased poverty means that the risks to women’s development and equality worsens. The global hunger index has continued to rise in the last 12 months and millions of people are on the brink of starvation or in famine. With crops and livestock destroyed, families are forced to ‘sell’ their daughters in marriage to relive the pressure for food and shelter.

Save The Children reports that “The number of girls at extreme risk of facing the double blow of climate change and child marriage is set to increase 33% to nearly 40 million by 2050”– Save the Children 

Whilst UN Climate Change tells us that “In Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Kenya, for example, child marriage is a way to secure funds or assets and recover losses experienced due to climate-related disasters, such as drought, repeated flooding and more intense storms.”

Some of the effects of climate change are long-term but the indirect consequences are not always obvious. Sex trafficking, exploitation and abuse was reported to rise during times of extreme drought or weather in parts of East Africa and South Asia (UNFPA,UNDP).

After Disaster

When an earthquake hits – such as that seen in Turkiye and Syria in February 2023 – women and girls are some of those who are hardest to reach. Lack of access to education, skills, resources and safe spaces places them at risk inside disaster zones. Women’s health, including during pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding, continues to be severely impacted.

“Women and girls are less able to access relief and assistance, further threatening their livelihoods, wellbeing and recovery, and creating a vicious cycle of vulnerability to future disasters.” – UN Women 

“When disasters strike, women are less likely to survive and more likely to be injured due to long standing gender inequalities that have created disparities in information, mobility, decision-making, and access to resources and training.” – UN Women 

Poverty

When war breaks out or disaster strikes, it is often women who are left alone and vulnerable. Widows and orphans are a huge percentage of the number of the globally displaced (DP) and are left unable to work or feed their families.

“Women-headed households are likely to lack access to essential services, like loans, crop insurance and agricultural extension services to help them adapt to climate change.” – UN FAO report 

“Food insecurity caused by climate change is also projected to increase by close to 240 million more women and girls, compared to 131 million more men and boys.” – UN Women 

Health

In addition to the immediate after-effects of natural disaster, long-term, women continue to experience higher rates of infection and mortality.

“Women’s and girls’ health is endangered by climate change and disasters by limiting access to services and health care, as well as increasing risks related to maternal and child health. Research indicates that extreme heat increases incidence of stillbirth, and climate change is increasing the spread of vector-borne illnesses such as malaria, dengue fever, and Zika virus, which are linked to worse maternal and neonatal outcomes.” -UN Women