In this article, CNN explores the relationship between climate change and inequality, explaining that climate change exacerbates societal issues, including gender inequality. They explore girl’s education in Nigeria, food insecurity in Brazil, human trafficking in the Philippines, maternal health in Pakistan, migration in Guatemala, child marriage in Bangladesh, and gender-based violence in Kenya.
In Nigeria, more than half of the girls in certain parts of the country attend school, and as climate crises such as flash flooding increases, so does absenteeism. In Brazil, women who use the Amazon rainforest to harvest natural resources (to eat, make into things, and/or sell) are trying to push back against corporate deforestation. In the Philippines – as we read in Parrenas’ Unfree – women live in poverty, leading them to be more vulnerable and susceptible to human trafficking and exploitation. CNN states that women’s increased state of poverty and human trafficking is at least partially due to the increased experiences of typhoons and hurricanes in this region of the world, which is due to climate change. In Pakistan, rising temperatures lead to increased stillbirths, premature births, lower birth weights, health problems like fainting and dehydration, and health concerns for the mother and her child trying to survive in the heat post-delivery.
In Guatemala, the rainy season is now starting later and ruining harvests, which ruins prospects for business and livelihood. While the men in this region migrate to find financial opportunities, women have to stay home, take care of the family, and find resources to live. In Bangladesh, as climate crises increase and devastate the country, families face increasing pressures to find resources to live, leading to increased child marriage. Lastly, the people in Kenya face climate extremes, bouncing from drought to floods. With most of the country relying on farming, this yo-yoing from one to the other decreases their chance for successful harvests. This leads to increased stress and aggravation, adding increased risk for violence against women.
While some of these effects are indirect and many of these issues are multi-dimensional, we can see the linkage between climate change and how it at least exacerbates societal issues that are already there. Knowing this can help government officials understand that when we put time and money towards reducing climate change and its impact, we are creating positive (generational) impacts for everyday citizens and other societal issues as well.
Written by: Lily Philbrook