In my home country of Pakistan, the 2022 floods destroyed nearly 10 million acres of land and left over 71% of households food insecure. For women and girls like Lakshmi, this was even more catastrophic. Homes were destroyed, leaving many women vulnerable to exploitation. Collecting water, which is traditionally a woman’s job, required travelling further from home, increasing the risk of assault. Last summer, I travelled to the disaster-affected communities and through conversations with the women affected, we were able to help by providing 172 safe spaces for women and children in over 20 of the most flood-impacted areas.
Perhaps most devastatingly, many countries that are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change are also experiencing war and conflict – a merging of crises with women and girls bearing the double burden. It is often female leaders, from government level to local organisations, that know the most about protecting their communities and what they need to avert disaster. But too often, a lack of female leadership and funding to women-led organisations excludes this representation and means climate action doesn’t really address how the climate crisis is impacting women and girls.
Currently, less than one third of all funding for climate adaptation goes to these countries, and there’s even less funding accessible to women’s rights and women-led organisations working toward gender-just climate solutions. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has reported that only 3.5% of their funding specifically went to women’s rights organisations. Investing in women’s education, health, and economic empowerment not only narrows gender inequalities, it is proven to build resilience, especially to climate disasters.
“Climate justice and gender equality are intertwined; one cannot be achieved without the other.”
I will be attending this year’s COP28 summit – the annual meeting between countries held by the UN to agree policies to address climate change – where last year, only 34% of countries’ negotiating teams were made up of women. It’s clear that to break this vicious cycle, we need women’s leadership and inclusion – of course in elite spaces like COP28, but also at all levels of climate action.
From the young female activists holding our leaders to account, to the women leading their communities on the front lines, we need gender expertise shaping decisions and policies. In particular, incorporating the voices of women from the Global South is essential to ensure that climate action addresses gender inequalities in climate-vulnerable – and often conflict-affected – regions of the world. Inclusivity isn’t only about a seat at the table though. Funding, partnership and elevating women-led organisations in these countries, often at the forefront of climate resilience and humanitarian work is essential.
Women and girls both in Pakistan – and across the most climate-vulnerable places in the world – are counting on COP28 to meet the urgent needs of the moment. Climate justice and gender equality are intertwined; one cannot be achieved without the other. By putting women and girls at the heart of climate action, we will provide an opportunity to address both.