Health and Climate Change – Chapter 13: Climate change and its impact on women in South Asia: Evidence from a gender lens

Gender inequity, in conjunction with climate change adversity, is one of the greatest threats to our civilization today. Climate change is evidently overwhelming the planet. Unregulated anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases are warming the planet and deteriorating the ecological systems. Melting of ice caps, intensification of biogeochemical cycles, amplification of climate variability, and destruction of habitats is devastating the flora and fauna. Researchers increasingly recognize climate change has a disproportionate impact on women by exacerbating their existing vulnerabilities and exposing them to new hazards. Climate change unequivocally impacts women’s position within existing patriarchal infrastructures, health disparities, division of labor, food insecurity, and domestic responsibilities. In this chapter, we view climate change through a gendered lens by tracing women’s life course and their interaction with climate change. Dangers faced by women range from biological vulnerabilities represented by health and safety concerns, financial insecurity represented by loss of livelihoods and inability to fairly access credit and resources, and societal well-being represented by aggravation in gender-based violence and interruptions to education. Finally, we corroborate that women’s empowerment is inherently tied to achieving climate goals. Some strategies for gendering climate change policy are discussed. And, the impact of climate change on women is assessed with a special focus on lower- and middle-income countries in South Asia.