MUJER Print

In December 2004 when the devastating tsunami hit Southeast Asia, 75% of the people who died were women.

In developing countries women farmers account for 45-80% of all food production. When changes in climate occur- such as water scarcity and droughts - it is the livelihood and incomes of women that are affected the most.

In rural areas, it is women who are tasked with collecting water and resources for heating their homes and cooking for their families and communities. As climate change increases resource scarcity in these rural areas, it is women who are forced to spend more energy collecting, and less time attending school or earning an income.

From disease to natural disaster, women and girls are disproportionally vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. As extreme weather patterns continue to increase and climate change shifts our ecosystems, it is women who will bear most of the brunt. It is women who are further prevented from achieving their full potential. 

But if women are bearing most of the brunt, then why aren’t more women involved in finding solutions? Traditional gender roles, legal inequalities, financial barriers and discrimination throughout the world limit women rights. From lack of land access, credit services, technical support, education, and family-planning services, women are faced with unique risks as climate change intensifies natural disasters and increases the cost of resources.