4 minutes read
The African proverb made popular by Mahatma Gandhi, “If you educate a man, you educate an individual. But if you educate a woman, you educate a nation,” underscores a crucial point. This simple but powerful idea spotlights an important fact in the fight against climate change: including women is not just about fidelity —it’s a compelling factor for any climate action initiative to succeed. And by doing so, we fortify our efforts and create a hopeful future for everyone.
Gender inequality in India & Climate resilience
India ranked 108 out of 193 countries in 2022, improving its position from 127 in 2014 according to the latest UN’s Gender Inequality Index (GII). Despite this headway, Indian efforts at climate resilience are adversely impacted by significant gender inequalities that still prevail in the country.
While there is an overarching impact of climate change on the entire global populace, it does not affect both the genders equivalently. Climate change vulnerabilities are further as it amplifies existing gender inequalities impending women’s mobility, access to health services, education and limiting employment.
Economic and cultural factors
A complex interplay of economic and cultural factors contributes to this situation. Women in India often work for free or less than minimum wages. Their very subsistence is often threatened directly by climate change induced meteorological conditions. Effects such as paucity of rain, water inundation and loss of harvest leading to a substantial drop in their income and food security. Additionally, amongst both genders, women in India have inadequate access to land, credit, technology, and education thus hampering their capability to adapt or even recover from the effects of climate change.
Health and household responsibilities
Women are also singularly affected as they are more inclined to contract contagious diseases resulting from water shortages and are more prone to health risks than men. Being traditionally tasked with the responsibility of collection, they must often walk longer distances than normal to collect water and firewood for their households. This in turn adversely affects time for their other household work, recovery and rest, thus resulting in amplified pressure on their well-being and economic opportunities.
Large scale migration of men to urban areas in search of livelihood is one of the widespread and critical impacts of climate change. Thus, leaving women to fend for the rest of their families on their own with limited resources. Given the patriarchal structure of our communities also means that male members of the family often get precedence in case of food shortages and access to healthcare making women more susceptible.
Commitment to Gender-Inclusive Climate Action
Raintree Foundation is fully cognisant of these issues, and has factored them in all climate change interventions by working towards empowering women in the rural communities. Raintree Foundation ensures the communities’ participation in decision-making processes. By doing so, the Foundation seeks to create more effective and equitable sustainable climate solutions that address the gender-specific impacts of climate change.
Furthermore, Raintree Foundation engages women and men to drive a more systemic change, fostering a more inclusive approach to climate action. The Foundation’s village sessions involve women, girls, men, and adolescent boys, to promote gender inclusive education and discussion. By working with Women’s Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and conducting awareness sessions, Raintree Foundation aims to address climate issues with a focus on gender inclusivity.
A Framework for Feminist Climate Justice
UN Women’s conceptual framework, titled “Feminist Climate Justice: A Framework for Action,” addresses the intersection of climate change and gender equality. It advocates several key strategies to enhance gender inclusion in climate action decision-making. These include ensuring that women and marginalised groups are included at all levels of climate policy and negotiations. Provide targeted education and training to empower women for active participation. Recognise and integrate the insights of women, particularly from Indigenous and local communities, into climate strategies. Develop gender-responsive policies that address women’s unique challenges and support their leadership in climate action. Implement mechanisms to monitor and evaluate women’s representation and progress. Finally, foster collaborations with women’s organisations and other stakeholders to amplify their voices in climate advocacy. These strategies collectively aim to improve women’s representation and impact in climate action.
Conclusion: The importance of Gender Equity in Climate Action
By continuing to advance gender equity, India can not only improve its GII ranking but also enhance the effectiveness of its climate action strategies.
By involving women at all stages of planning and implementation, we can ensure that climate solutions are equitable, sustainable, and responsive to the specific needs of vulnerable communities. Moreover, empowering women to participate in climate action is not just an ethical imperative, it is a strategic necessity for building a resilient and sustainable future.
