Gender, Climate, and Security: Sustaining inclusive peace on the frontlines of climate change

“The global threat of climate change and environmental degradation is poised to exacerbate the already increasing number of complex emergencies, which disproportionately affect women and girls. There is therefore an urgent need for better analysis and concrete, immediate actions to address the linkages between climate change and conflict from a gender perspective”. SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES, 2019

Climate change threatens peace and security in every region of the globe. And while the impacts of the climate crisis are felt by everyone, they are not felt by everyone equally. Rising temperatures, extended droughts, and extreme weather events are resulting in the loss of livelihoods, increased competition over scarce resources, and forced migration. Men and women experience these impacts differently due to cultural gender roles, pre-existing inequalities, power dynamics, and unequal access to resources which leave some groups disproportionately vulnerable. 

In 2019, the UN Secretary-General declared an “urgent need” for better analysis of the linkages between climate change and conflict from a gender perspective. This report uses case studies from across the globe to illustrate the different ways in which gender, climate change, and security are inextricably linked. Understanding these linkages can help stakeholders mitigate the risks of insecurity in order to build resilient communities by advancing climate action and gender equality.

Read the full article here.