It follows that the urgency of the climate crisis, which is, in fact, already in effect, thus unevenly spread and impinges on everybody’s health to an unequal extent. Among others, poor women and girls face especially severe health risks related to their conventional societal roles responsibilities, and cultural norms. For example, as UNDP reports, women and children are 14 times more likely to die in a disaster than men. Recently, the Supreme Court of India held that people have a right to protection against harmful changes in the climate. Hence, we are entitled to the right to an environment free of pollution as a part of the expanded right to life.
GS Paper | General Studies II |
Topics for UPSC Prelims | Climate Change, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Supreme Court of India, Climate Conference (COP 28), Loss and Damage Fund, Gender-Based Violence, National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 4 and 5, Council on Energy Environment and Water (CEEW). |
Topics for UPSC Mains | Impact of Climate Change on Women, Addressing Climate Change Patterns Impacting Women. |
This editorial draws on insights from the article “The climate crisis is not gender neutral,” published in The Hindu on April 10, 2024. It articulately highlights how the climate crisis has a disproportionate impact on different segments of the population, with a particular focus on the increased vulnerability of women. The discussion emphasizes that effective climate action requires the engagement of all societal segments. Particularly, it argues that empowering women is for devising more effective solutions to combat climate challenges.
Achieving the Paris Agreement’s temperature control targets necessitates the engagement of the entire population. Empowering women, who when given equal resources can increase agricultural yields by 20–30%, is essential for developing robust climate solutions.
Empowering rural and tribal women through Self-help Groups and Farmer Producer Organizations with the necessary tools and resources can foster local, effective climate adaptation strategies. Such measures need to be tailored distinctly for rural and urban contexts.
Collecting sex-disaggregate data is vital for understanding and harnessing the potential of women in diverse roles as change agents. This requires moving beyond generic data to capture the nuanced roles of women and men in different cultural contexts.
Strategies to lessen the impacts of heat waves should include issuing localized heat wave warnings, altering work and school schedules, and improving facilities with cooling rooms and adequate water supplies. These measures can help reduce heat-related mortality and economic losses.
Urban and local authorities should be equipped with plans and resources to implement climate adaptation measures effectively. Initiatives like increasing green spaces and improving housing to withstand climate impacts are essential long-term strategies.
Addressing water scarcity requires mapping and revitalizing traditional water systems like ponds and canals using modern technologies such as geographic information systems to improve water access and resilience.
Effective convergence of services and prioritization of actions are most achievable at local levels like villages and panchayats. Empowering local bodies with the necessary authority and resources is essential for community-led resilience.
Revising the National Action Plan (NAPCC) and State Action Plan (SAPCC) on Climate Change to reflect gender dynamics accurately can help in developing more inclusive and effective climate strategies.
The issues of gender equality and climate justice are so interlinked that any approach toward the climate crisis needs to aim for being gender-neutral. The response needs recognition of differential impacts, vulnerabilities, and adaptive capacities of diverse groups of genders for the necessary building of resilient and inclusive communities.
Gender-inclusive strategies are indispensable in climate action plans as we implement our roadmap to sustainability. This is an opportunity to finally create, together, a sound framework of climate resilience, social justice, and environmental stewardship for current and future generations.
UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs) Mains Q. Discuss the positive and negative effects of globalization on women in India. (GS Paper I, 2015) Q. Examine the link between climate disasters and an increase in gender-based violence. Use data from the National Family Health Surveys (NFHS) and reports by bodies like the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to support your analysis. What steps can be taken to mitigate the effects of climate change on women’s safety and security? |
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