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The climate and energy crisis are two of the most important challenges facing our planet and their impacts are not only environmental, but extend to various social areas such as gender equality, as the climate and energy crisis affect both genders differently and can reinforce or exacerbate existing inequalities.
Research by the World Health Organization (WHO) on the impact of natural disasters, conducted in 141 countries around the world, has shown that, on average, natural disasters kill more women than men, or kill women who are younger than men.
Women are more vulnerable to natural disasters because of their socially constructed roles, as well as the constraints and entrenchments they face, especially in countries where their social, economic and political status is inferior to that of men. Also, to the adverse impacts of climate change should be added forced migration, which increases the risk of physical abuse of women and girls.
In areas affected by natural disasters or extreme weather conditions, women often face additional challenges. This can happen because in many communities it is women who are caring for children, seeking water and food, while facing the effects of the climate crisis.
Extreme weather, flooding, insufficient rainfall and temperature increases affect various aspects of their lives. For example, lack of access to water is likely to force women to spend more time addressing this daily need, reducing the time they could devote to education or work.
In the agricultural sector, extreme climate conditions can lead to crop losses and therefore economic insecurity. In addition, women often bear the burden of caring for the family and, when resources become scarce due to climate disasters, this burden is intensified.
Gender inequality is more evident in education, health care systems and employment sectors, while creating barriers to addressing the impacts of the climate crisis.
Although warming affects all citizens, women are more vulnerable to its negative impacts, particularly in developing countries, with However, women not only suffer the effects of climate change differently, but also contribute differently to mitigating its effects due to their different perceptions.
Women, the vast majority of whom, as mentioned above, are responsible for looking after their families, usually choose to work in places closer to their place of residence and thus use transport less frequently, which contributes both to reducing emissions and to reducing the impact of climate change. As has already been demonstrated, women are dependent on natural resources and, as a result, often demonstrate greater responsibility for their conservation.
Most public multilateral mechanisms dealing with climate change finance have, until recently, not been tasked with issues related to gender equality and women's empowerment or given due attention to promoting gender mainstreaming. However, in recent years, most of them have made substantial efforts and made significant progress in terms of gender mainstreaming in policies, programmes and delivery practices. This is an important step forward and serves as a guideline for the formulation of the climate change financing strategy. However, a significant challenge remains in implementing gender policies in financial instruments at both national and regional levels.
The 2030 Agenda and the UN Sustainable Development Goals have reinforced the importance of women's participation in the effort to eradicate poverty, protect the planet and enjoy the benefits of peace and prosperity by 2030.
The above is confirmed in the Monitoring Report prepared by the UN High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development on the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals. This report identifies climate change and gender inequality as two of the most pressing issues and states that:
"The combined effects of climate change will be devastating and irreversible: increased ocean acidification, coastal erosion, extreme weather events, more intense and frequent natural disasters, continued land degradation, loss of vital species and ecosystem collapse. These consequences, which will render many parts of the world uninhabitable, will mainly affect the lower strata of society and jeopardise food production, leading to severe food crises, which could result in the displacement of up to 140 million people by the year 2050."
Ensuring gender equality is crucial for an effective response to the climate crisis. Strengthening women's participation in environmental decisions and providing equal opportunities to access resources and information is fundamental. The lack of such participation can lead to decisions that do not take into account women's needs and experiences.
An integrated approach that combines addressing climate change with promoting gender equality can have significant positive impacts on communities and the environment.
In conclusion, it is certain that the discussions and proposals that will emerge from this Conference will be an important contribution to a better understanding of the issue and to finding practical solutions.
