Our Turn: There Is No Gender Justice Without Climate Justice

Apr 22, 2021 | Anna Clews and Rob Werner
View Original

On Earth Day 2021, we’re paying special attention to the intersection of climate and gender justice. We believe that there is no gender justice without climate justice, and there is no climate justice without gender justice. Yet not all feminists and environmentalists are aware of how interconnected our fights for justice are. Across the board, women are disproportionately affected by climate change. Women make up 70% of the global population living in poverty. Through rising sea levels and extreme weather events, global warming places millions of people at risk of displacement, a staggering 80% of whom are womenClimate change severely impacts the agricultural industry and in developing countries, women are responsible for producing 60 to 80% of food. Climate change-related extreme weather events are also associated with greater risks of low birth weight and pre-term births. With women disproportionately carrying the burden of climate change, it should come as no surprise that they are also more likely to recognize the dangers of climate change.