A recent report from the United Nations sheds light on the interconnected challenges of climate change, economic inequality, and gender disparities, emphasizing the disproportionate impact on women and girls globally. Highlighting the urgent need for feminist climate justice, the report calls for a comprehensive approach that integrates women's rights into the global fight against environmental catastrophe.
The study underscores the detrimental effects of gender inequalities and the neglect of gender issues in environmental policymaking. The UN estimates that, by 2050, climate change's worst-case scenario could push an additional 158 million women and girls into poverty, exceeding the total number of affected men and boys by 16 million. Furthermore, 236 million more women and girls might face food insecurity.
Women and girls are particularly vulnerable to the immediate and lingering impacts of disasters. The report reveals that tensions within families and instances of gender-based violence intensify in communities facing recurrent crises. Disturbingly, environmental stress contributes to increased rates of child marriage, a preference for sons, sex-selective abortion, and higher chances of girls dropping out of school during droughts.
The report emphasizes that without decisive action to combat climate change, women and girls risk a substantial reversal of their human rights. The envisioned feminist climate justice requires a profound transformation of global economies and societies, transcending superficial changes.
Feminist climate justice, as outlined in the report, encompasses a visionary framework drawing from philosopher Nancy Fraser's justice theory. This framework includes recognizing women's rights, labor, and knowledge; redistributing economic resources; representing women's voices and agency; and repairing historical injustices and inequalities.
The paper acknowledges the leadership of women and gender-diverse individuals, particularly when organizing collectively to drive essential changes. Feminism, in this context, is not merely an analytical framework but a call for progressive action to transform institutions, laws, policies, and practices toward greater gender equality.
Additionally, the report addresses accountability and introduces a forthcoming tool, the gender equality and climate policy scorecard. Developed by UN Women, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, and the Kaschak Institute for Social Justice for Women and Girls at Binghamton University, this tool aims to hold policymakers accountable.
The UN's vision for feminist climate justice envisions a world in which everyone can live in peace, be free from discrimination, and thrive on a healthy and sustainable planet. This report serves as a crucial call to action, urging policymakers to prioritize gender-inclusive policies in the face of escalating environmental challenges.