According to the UN data, women constitute a staggering 80% of those displaced by climate change and face a 14-fold higher risk of death during climate disasters compared to men. Climate change-driven displacement, global food insecurity, and socioeconomic instability significantly increase the vulnerability of women to violence, particularly in conflict zones and impoverished regions. These interconnected issues exacerbated manifold by climate change have emerged as the most pressing challenges of our time.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) defines Gender-Based Violence (GBV) as “detrimental actions directed at an individual due to their gender. These acts stem from gender inequality, the abuse of power, and harmful societal norms.” GBV encompasses a wide range of harmful behaviors, including but not limited to domestic and intimate partner violence, sexual assault, forced and early marriages, economic exploitation, human trafficking, and femicide.
Climate change and gender inequality are deeply intertwined, creating a complex web of challenges that disproportionately affect women and girls. Existing gender inequalities, such as limited access to resources, education, and decision-making power, exacerbate women’s vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. For example, women are often responsible for securing food, water, and fuel for their families, tasks that become increasingly difficult during droughts, floods, and other climate-related disasters. Additionally, social norms and cultural expectations can restrict women’s mobility and access to information, leaving them ill-equipped to adapt to changing environmental conditions.
This intersectionality highlights the urgent need for climate action that addresses both gender equality and environmental sustainability.
The devastating 2022 floods in Pakistan, the most severe in the nation’s history, resulted in a tragic loss of 1,700 lives, displaced over 33 million people, and caused widespread destruction of agricultural land. Government estimates place the economic losses at a staggering $30 billion.
While the Sindh government has initiated the reconstruction of 2.1 million homes to assist more than 12.6 million flood-affected individuals, the impact of climate change on women extends far beyond the loss of homes and financial hardship.
The study published in JAMA Psychiatry provides compelling evidence of the alarming link between rising temperatures and increased domestic violence in South Asia. By analyzing data from nearly 200,000 women across India, Pakistan, and Nepal, the researchers demonstrated a concerning trend: a 1°C increase in average annual temperature was associated with a significant rise in both physical and sexual violence against women. This finding has profound implications for understanding the complex interplay between climate change, social inequalities, and public health.
One of the most striking findings is the disproportionate impact on India, a country already grappling with high rates of intimate partner violence. The study revealed that for every 1°C increase in temperature, physical violence against women in India surged by 8%, while sexual violence increased by a staggering 7.3%. This stark increase underscores the heightened vulnerability of women in this region to the escalating impacts of climate change
According to Michelle Bell, a professor of environmental health at Yale University and a co-author of the study, numerous factors, both biological and societal, can contribute to the link between higher temperatures and increased violence. Extreme heat can have severe consequences, including crop failures, infrastructure damage, economic disruption, and limitations on daily activities due to heat-related restrictions. These challenges can significantly increase stress within families, thereby elevating the risk of violence. The study revealed a correlation between heat and increased violence across all socioeconomic levels, with the most pronounced impact observed in lower-income and rural households.
Climate change poses a multifaceted threat, extending beyond economic impacts to encompass national security, displacement, and conflict. It acts as a “threat multiplier,” exacerbating existing tensions and vulnerabilities. Regions like Sudan, Kenya, and Somalia, which grapple with both local conflicts and the adverse effects of climate change, serve as stark examples of this dangerous intersection.
Article 7.1 of the Paris Agreement underscores the importance of addressing climate change through a three-pronged approach: enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience, and reducing vulnerabilities. This framework recognizes the critical need to equip communities and nations with the tools and resources to effectively cope with the impacts of climate change.
Beyond social and economic pressures, extreme heat can directly impact human physiology and psychology. Professor Bell highlighted growing evidence suggesting that extreme heat can elevate stress levels, diminish inhibitions, increase aggression, and worsen existing mental health conditions. Previous research has established a link between acute heat exposure and increased adrenaline production, a hormone known to enhance aggression. Additionally, heat exposure can activate areas of the brain responsible for regulating emotions. Furthermore, heatwaves have been linked to the exacerbation of mental health issues such as anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Experts emphasize that systemic vulnerabilities significantly exacerbate gender-based violence during climate crises. As noted by one expert, “When climate disasters strike, the immediate focus shifts to evacuating victims to safety, and gender segregation often becomes a secondary concern.” Unfortunately, displacement camps frequently lack adequate security measures for women and girls, leaving them highly susceptible to sexual exploitation. This alarming reality has been documented extensively in displacement camps and post-disaster situations across the globe.
In the face of disasters that threaten livelihoods, communities may resort to desperate survival strategies. These can include harmful practices like trafficking, sexual exploitation, early and child marriage, or school dropouts. These options, often driven by economic necessity, force women and girls into perilous situations, leaving them with limited choices for survival.
Climate change, poverty, and displacement create a brutal calculus for families, often leading to a rise in gender-based violence, particularly early marriage for girls. Extreme weather events and disasters exacerbate these pressures. As one expert noted, “Early marriage becomes a significant issue in displacement situations – known as ‘climate brides.‘” The reasons are stark: when families lose everything, daughters are seen as a source of income through dowries or a way to reduce the number of mouths to feed. We’ve seen this play out tragically in flood-affected regions, with families marrying off daughters for livestock like cows and goats.
UNICEF reports that the catastrophic 2022 floods in Pakistan, the most severe in the nation’s history, severely disrupted the education of over two million children. Nearly 27,000 schools were damaged or destroyed, leaving over 600,000 adolescent girls at heightened risk of dropping out of school, facing increased vulnerability to gender-based violence, and potentially being forced into child marriage.
International organizations, including the UN, World Bank, and numerous NGOs, acknowledge the urgent need to address the interconnectedness of climate change and gender-based violence (GBV) in disaster-affected regions. However, current responses often fall short due to insufficient coordination, inadequate funding, and a lack of long-term, sustainable solutions.
A broader societal approach is crucial to effectively tackle this complex issue. As one expert emphasized, “The root cause of GBV in this context lies not in climate change itself, but in the systemic failures of society, the state, and the government to adequately protect vulnerable groups through social safety nets, welfare programs, and economic relief.”
To address this, both the private and public sectors must prioritize training initiatives for both men and women, focusing on enhancing gender sensitivity and promoting equality.
Women’s access to education and healthcare must be prioritized, with a focus on their specific needs. This includes engaging men in discussions on reproductive health, the detrimental impact of early marriage on young girls, and the importance of gender-equitable approaches in all aspects of service delivery.