Climate Change: Why do Women have to bear the brunt?

“Natural Calamities know no borders.”
This statement is absolute true for the effects of climate change.

News jungal media; Climate Change is far larger and more complex phenomenon than most of the natural calamities.The main question is who is affected by this crisis and to what extent is determined by one’s socioeconomic conditions and it became worse by pre existing inequalities such as gender inequality.Why Women are disproportionately affected by the perils of climate change?

Climate Change is a periodic modification of of Earth’s climate due to changes in atmosphere and also interaction between atmosphere and other geographical, geological, chemical and biological factors within Earth’s system.

Natural Factors:

Plate Tectonics
Volcanic Activities
Ocean Currents

Anthropogenic Factors:

Greenhouse Gases
Change in landscape
Rising Sea levels
Ocean Acidification
Manmade Disasters

Adverse effects on women:

Women are the primary dependents on natural resourses.They are responsible for securing food, water, and fuel for the households, therefore are more vulnerable.

1) IHDS-2(India Human Development Survey) shows that Women spend twice the amount of time fetching
water per day(46 minutes) as compared to men(22 minutes), also being more engaged in environment related activities.They have less control over such resources.they have limited decision making powers.

2)Climate Action Network Report shows that Women perform additional 12-14 hours work due to climate displacement and migration.
In times of food shortages due to unfavourable weather conditions, It is the Women who sacrifice the most and eat less than the whole family because of gender biased expectations of altruism.

3)World Health Organisation said that Women also suffer high mortality and decrease in Life Expectancy during and after extreme weather events.

Climate Change disproportionately affect women due to their marginal identities.it also widens gender disparities.

Experiences from India:

Climate Change impact in India is becoming more and more evident every year with intensifying heat waves, erratic monsoons, weather calamities such as drought, flood and irregular rainfall.

Assessing the selective vulnerability of women to the climate crisis.

1)A Study of the Tea Plantation in Darjeeling, West Bengal finds that in last few years, the excessive use of fertilizers in the production of tea has severely affected female tea workers, they are cheaper source of labour in Tea Gardens. They have suffered vision loss, skin infections, loss of appetite and breathing ailments.

Women constitute majority of agricultural workforce in rural india, agriculture is especially vulnerable to climate change.they have vast experience in the field but have very limited land owning rights and minimum financial resources which put them at a disadvantage in mitigating any climate related crisis.

2)Another report from Bihar, studying the impact on women aftermath of floods finds that increased incidences of domestic violence against women,higher instances of trafficking in the name of marriage, increased preferences for male child, instances of abusive behaviour in flood relief camps.

3) The case of Water Wives of rural Maharashtra, shows yet another strong link between climate change and increase in women exploitation.Due to water scarcity arising from drought and improper water connectivity, the men of the village have started having more wives and these wives only ensure if there is water in the house.

Women from the poorest rural communities spend almost two and half months in a year only fetching water.
Ther has been an increase in the distance women travel, also increase in the number of households which travel for water.

Again we see that how gender inequality puts women at higher disadvantage against climate crisis.

Conclusion:

India should promote gender sensitive climate education and raise awareness about link between gender inequality and climate change consequences.Indian should also encourage inclusion and empowerment of women in climate policies and action framework.

Read also: Right to Information Act:A Necessary Mechanism to Decentralise Governance…https://www.newsjungal.com/a-necessary-mechanism-to-decentralise-governance/

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