Gendered Impact of Climate Change
Context:
The effects of climate change, specifically heatwaves and water scarcity, exert disproportionate effects on women in India.
Gendered Impacts:
The complex relationship among gender dynamics, societal norms, and climate change amplifies the vulnerability of women to heatwaves in India.
- Physical Strain: Longer journeys to fetch water or working outdoors in agriculture amidst extreme heat.
- Waterborne Diseases: The “Right to Water” Report of United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR), cites prolonged hours of water-related tasks by women, thus exacerbating health risks, particularly due to waterborne diseases.
- Neglected Health: Women’s health concerns are often sidelined due to cultural norms and devoting strategic gender needs compounding their vulnerability to heat-related illnesses.
- Lack of Decision Making: It impedes women’s access to essential resources for coping with heat and water scarcity.
- More Vulnerable: Pregnant and elderly women face heightened risks from heat stress, leading to complications like preterm labour, worsened health conditions, and increased stillbirth rates.
- A study of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) indicates that a 1°C temperature rise leads to a 6 percent increase in preterm births.
- Less Economic Opportunities: Economic opportunities, especially in agriculture are impacted significantly by heatwaves and droughts.
- According to the Monster Salary Index (MSI), women earn 20 percent less than men on average, and this gap is further widened due to heat waves.
- Elevated Indoor Temperatures: Around 54% of Indian women live indoors, where elevated temperatures decrease their work capacity, leading to a potential income loss of up to 30% for home-based workers.
Feminisation of Disaster
It refers to the disproportionate impact of disasters on women due to various factors such as social norms, gender roles, and inequalities. Research emphasises that women often face higher mortality rates and increased vulnerability during disasters, influenced by biological, social, and economic factors.
Measures Needed:
To address the unequal impact of heatwaves and water crises on women and girls, various strategies can be implemented.
- Promoting women’s leadership: Empowering women in decision-making on water management and climate resilience ensures their inclusion and addresses their specific needs.
- A World Bank evaluation highlighted that water projects were six to seven times more effective when women were involved compared to projects where they were not.
- Gender-responsive policy and planning: Implementing Smart economics, as advocated by the World Bank, in climate policies is crucial, directing resources to reduce the vulnerability of women and girls to heatwaves and water scarcity for better, fairer outcomes.
- Enhancing access to resources: Granting women access to clean water eases their burden of household chores.
- India’s Jal Jeevan Mission, targeting individual household tap connections in rural areas, marks substantial progress in this regard.
- Improving education and employment opportunities: Encouraging women’s education and employment in climate-resilient sectors boosts their ability to adapt to environmental changes.
- Data-Driven Mechanism: Investing in research and data collection on gendered climate impacts informs effective policymaking.
- Sex-disaggregated data on heatwaves and water scarcity effects on women guides targeted interventions.
- Climate resilience agricultural practices: Ensuring women farmers receive training in climate-resilient techniques and equal access to resources and infrastructure is vital.
- For example, the Women-led Climate Resilient Farming (WCRF) Model, developed by the Samaj Pragati Sahayog (SSP) organisation, empowers women to become leaders in sustainable agriculture practices.
In summary, tackling the gendered effects of climate change demands a holistic approach, embedding gender perspectives across all facets of resilience planning and execution. Prioritising gender equity in climate initiatives fosters stronger, more sustainable communities for everyone.