no climate justice without gender justice!
Climate chaos and vulnerability to violence
As the recent drought tore across Southern Africa, it left wasted farmlands, dry riverbeds and scorched biodiversity in its wake. But beneath this wreckage lay a far darker, deeper scar: violence against women.
When climate disasters strike, loss is easier to assess. What is not visible, however, is the sociocultural trauma of gender-based violence, whose impacts outlast extreme weather events.
In Zambia, women and girls would walk over long distances to look for water and food, which exposed them to the risk of violence. After a day of toil, mothers would sometimes give sexual favours in exchange for food, leading to sexual exploitation.
But what is the connection between climate change and violence against women? An increase in climate impacts always translates to more suffering for women and girls. When climate change bites, it strains resources, including food and water.
The situation is even worse among smallholder farming communities. The gap between men's and women’s income widens as livelihoods take a hit.
Drought and floods trigger a significant reduction in crop yields. This exposes families to hunger and malnutrition. When women, the primary providers and caregivers, are unable to secure sustenance for their families, they become a target for violence at home.
Did Gender feature at COP29?
Yes. Gender was the 14th agenda item at COP29. Day 10 of the climate talks was Gender Day. At the summit, Parties pushed for gender-responsive climate policies around the world. They also demanded equal representation of women on all fronts of humanity.
Were there any agreements?
Parties spent a lot of time disagreeing over the language of the text. Some delegates wanted ‘‘gender’’ replaced with ‘‘sex’’. This position was rejected for the limitations of ‘‘sex’’ in its representation of gender issues.
What were the outcomes?
· COP29 agreed to extend the Lima Work Programme on Gender by 10 years
· The summit highlighted the need for gender-responsive climate finance
· COP29 also recommended that the special needs of women/girls be considered in planning
· Gender will be an agenda item at COP30 in Brazil
Yet, inaction continues to fuel violence against women. It is one thing to agree on empowering women. Implementing agreements and policies that promote and safeguard women interests and priorities is another.
Even at COP, male delegates by far outnumber their female counterparts. For Africa and the Global South, it might take 10 years to attain parity in the genders at COPs, according to a Lancet study.
As the world commemorates this edition of ‘‘16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence’’ we must all recognise that gender rights are human rights. Everyone has a responsibility to speak up against all forms of violence.
There is no climate justice without gender justice!