Women at the forefront of Climate Change

Climate change is a global phenomenon that is characterized by long term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns.Although these shifts may be normal,since the 1800s human activities like the burning of fossil fuels   have greatly contributed to climate change.

 In as much as this phenomenon affects everyone, women tend to be the most disadvantaged because its effects are shaped with issues of gender equality and violence against women.

In most crises women tend to be the most affected victims. Climate change results in many disasters which includes famines,heatwaves and cyclones. 

In times like these it is girls who are most likely to drop out of school in order to help the family with looking for food, chores or even to take care of younger siblings whilst their parents are trying to make ends meet for the family. Dropping out of school means these young girls and women have also missed out on an opportunity to learn about climate change and how to curb it. This is the scenario in most rural communities.

Most families in the rural areas depend on agriculture and livestock rearing for survival and these have been hugely affected by climate change. As a result many young girls have dropped out of school because their parents  no longer afford to send them to school. It is quite sad that in search for greener pastures these girls end up engaging in transactional sex or prostitution to help take care of their families.

Climate change has also made the fight against child marriages tougher. When a family's income is at risk the girl child is often used as bait for a better life. Young girls are married off to older men so that they help in taking care of the family, what's even worse is in some cases marrying off girls is seen as a way of reducing the mouths to feed during a crisis.

Sexual and reproductive rights are compromised during natural disasters that are exacerbated by climate change. In disastrous times health services are disrupted for instance when cyclone Idai struck many women failed to access health institutions and this often results in unwanted pregnancies, maternal deaths  and other sexual and reproductive health related diseases.

Cases of gender based violence  and gender inequality tend to increase during climate change induced crisis. According to the International Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC) gender inequalities are further exaggerated by climate related hazards and  they result in higher workloads for women, psychological and emotional stress and a higher mortality compared to men.

Climate change has made it harder for women to manage house chores like gathering firewood, cleaning, cooking and child rearing hence there is need for a collective action to derail the effects of Climate change.

Women need to lead conversations about climate change since they are mostly affected. They should be champions of climate change who advocate for the use of clean  sources of energy for sustainable communities.

Natural disasters can impose terrible problems on women and in as much as we might not be able to prevent these natural disasters, measures should be put in place to ensure the safety of girls and women since they are  the most vulnerable.

 There is need to address all these problems that women face because of climate change.

Feministry!