The Gendered Impact of Climate Change on Health

By Serena Cavalier

Photo sourced from: https://www.wecf.org/women-gender-constituency/ 

Content Warnings: Sexual and gender-based violence

When most people think of climate change, they often think of rising sea levels, increased temperatures, forest fires, and extreme weather events. Many do not stop to think about the impacts that climate change has on human health — impacts that have already begun to take effect. While everyone will be impacted by climate change if non-eco-friendly practices continue, women are impacted to a higher degree. It is important to learn about the impact of climate change on women’s health to raise awareness and fuel the search for solutions.

Important Note: Although this article is written about the impact of climate change on those who identify as cis-women, it is important to recognize that gender identity is complex and many people identify with genders beyond the male-female binary. Gender-diverse individuals face societal discrimination and are also highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

What exactly is climate change?

Climate change is the change in long-term patterns of weather around the world (NASA, n.d.). It encompasses much more than simply warmer temperatures and heat waves, but includes changes in rain patterns which can lead to flooding and drought, rising sea levels, and even colder temperatures during the winter months in some regions (NASA, n.d.).

These shifts in climate are occurring due to the activities of humans. The burning of fossil fuels like coal and petroleum for energy and manufacturing releases harmful greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere where they trap heat from the sun (NASA, n.d.). A natural level of greenhouse gasses is required to keep Earth warm enough for life, but human activities have released an excess of these gasses causing climate change due to global warming (NASA, n.d.).

What are the ways that climate change impacts women to a greater extent?

1. Food and water insecurity: The extreme weather caused by climate change leads to erosion, flooding, and drought, which negatively impact agricultural production (Moon, 2024). These same weather patterns are leading to a lack of clean drinking water (United Nations, n.d.a). Women globally bear the brunt of food insecurity, with women often neglecting to eat only after the rest of their family has been fed – an unequal consumption pattern formed from long-held gender norms (Suri, 2023). Women also struggle the most when water is scarce since they are often responsible for sourcing water for their families. Strenuous travel conditions, time spent away from school and work, and unsafe water pose a three-pronged threat to women’s health (United Nations, n.d.b).

2. Sexual and gender-based violence: Although anyone can experience sexual violence, women and girls are disproportionately victimized, which is detrimental to their physical and mental well-being (Desai & Mandal, 2021). Evidence from around the world suggests that violence against women and girls increases following natural disasters and emergencies. With climate change increasing the frequency and severity of severe weather events, sexual and gender-based violence pose a devastating threat to the well-being of women globally. Displacement, food and water shortages, and poverty place women and girls in positions of heightened vulnerability (Desai & Mandal, 2021). 

3. Mental health challenges: Climate change is impacting mental health in different ways globally, ranging from eco-anxiety surrounding the future of the planet to PTSD following severe weather events (Novotny, 2023). Through long-studied differences, women have been identified as having higher rates of depression and anxiety than men. Specifically following severe weather events, women have higher rates of anxiety, depression, and PTSD (Dunne, 2022). These mental health challenges are exacerbated by climate change (Dunne, 2022).

4. Child marriage: Child marriage is a pressing threat to women’s health as it exposes girls to a wide variety of health concerns such as sexually transmitted infections, sexual violence, female genital mutilation, and early pregnancy which is associated with a greater risk of complications (Pope et al., 2022). Climate change increases rates of child marriage in many ways. Climate-induced resource scarcity may lead families to marry off children to reduce financial load and younger girls typically have a lower dowry cost. Education, the greatest protective factor against child marriage, is disrupted by climate change, putting girls at risk. Displacement often occurs after climate-related disasters and is associated with greater rates of child marriage (Pope et al., 2022).

5. Mosquito-borne illnesses: Climate change not only affects humans, but animal species as well. Mosquitoes carry a wide range of illnesses that impact human health. With climate change, more regions are becoming at-risk for mosquito-borne illnesses (Colón-González et al., 2021). Out of those who develop malaria or dengue fever from a mosquito bite, pregnant women are more likely to experience severe disease than others, increasing the risk of complications and death (Mubashir et al., 2020). While mosquito-borne illnesses are a threat to all, they are a specific concern to women’s health due to their impact during pregnancy.

It is important to recognize the overlap that exists between the different ways that women’s health is impacted by climate change. By addressing one health impact, others can be addressed in the process.

What can be done about climate change?

After learning about all of the ways that climate change negatively impacts human health, you likely want to take action to do your part in reducing these harms. The good news is that there is still time to make a difference. Actions you can take, both big and small, include (United Nations Environment Programme, 2022):

• Raising awareness by telling others about the dangers of climate change and how they can make a difference

• Putting political pressure on policy-makers to combat climate change

• Making lifestyle adjustments to reduce your carbon footprint like using eco-friendly transportation methods (bicycles, carpools, public transit), eating more plant-based meals, and shopping locally

References

Colón-González, F. J., Sewe, M. O., Tompkins, A. M., Sjödin, H., Casallas, A., Rocklöv, J., Caminade, C., & Lowe, R. (2021). Projecting the risk of mosquito-borne diseases in a warmer and more populated world: A multi-model, Multi-scenario Intercomparison Modelling Study. The Lancet Planetary Health, 5(7). https://doi.org/10.1016/s2542-5196(21)00132-7 

Desai, B. H., & Mandal, M. (2021). Role of climate change in exacerbating sexual and gender-based violence against women: A new challenge for international law. Environmental Policy and Law, 51(3), 137–157. https://doi.org/10.3233/epl-210055 

Dunne, D. (2022, January 4). Mapped: How climate change disproportionately affects women’s health. Carbon Brief. https://www.carbonbrief.org/mapped-how-climate-change-disproportionately-affects-womens-health/ 

Moon, M. P. (2024). How does climate change affect the food security and vulnerability of women? A systematic review of Gender Perspectives. Frontiers in Climate, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2024.1374469 

Mubashir, M., Ahmed, K. S., Mubashir, H., Quddusi, A., Farooq, A., Ahmed, S. I., Jamil, B., & Qureshi, R. (2020). Dengue and malaria infections in pregnancy. Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift, 132(7–8), 188–196. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-019-01606-8 

NASA. (n.d.). What is climate change?. NASA. https://science.nasa.gov/climate-change/what-is-climate-change/ 

Novotny, A. (2023, February 7). How does climate change affect mental health?. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/topics/climate-change/mental-health-effects 

Pope, D. H., McMullen, H., Baschieri, A., Philipose, A., Udeh, C., Diallo, J., & McCoy, D. (2022). What is the current evidence for the relationship between the climate and environmental crises and child marriage? A scoping review. Global Public Health, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2022.2095655 

Suri, S. (2023, December 4). Why women face more food insecurity than men. Observer Research Foundation. https://www.orfonline.org/research/why-women-face-more-food-insecurity-than-men 

United Nations Environment Programme. (2022, May 4). 10 ways you can help fight the Climate Crisis. UNEP. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/10-ways-you-can-help-fight-climate-crisis 

United Nations. (n.d.b). Water and gender. UN Water. https://www.unwater.org/water-facts/water-and-gender 

United Nations. (n.d.a). Water – at the center of the Climate Crisis. United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/water#:~:text=Climate%20change%20is%20exacerbating%20both,world’s%20water%20in%20complex%20ways.