When looking at the issues we face, both locally and globally, it is important to realize how connected everything is. Gender disparities and climate change may seem like two separate problems that need specifically catered solutions, but looking at them that way is part of the issue. In her TED talk, Rumaitha Al Busaidi discusses the intersectionality of uplifting women and the development of climate change solutions. Al Busaidi notes, “...access to education, employment and family planning is the condition for more vibrant lives for women and girls, for their families and their entire communities. They get to earn more money, achieve career goals and face fewer health issues. And not only that, they become more resilient and better equipped to manage both food and nature and to cope with the impacts of climate change.”
Rumaitha Al Basaidi for TED
As the UN notes, women in developing and rural areas are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change with unequal access to resources, to decision-making processes, and limited mobility. Therefore communities must identify gender-sensitive strategies to respond to the environmental and humanitarian crises caused by climate change. To turn this around and allow women resources for education and policy-making would allow for climate change mitigation, disaster reduction, and adaptation strategies. Additionally, the role of women in communities as stewards of natural and household resources, puts them in a position to contribute to livelihood strategies adapted to changing environmental conditions.
Sources:
https://www.unisdr.org/files/48152_disasterandgenderstatistics.pdf
Alston, Margaret. "Gender Mainstreaming and Climate Change." Women's Studies International Forum 47 (2014): 287-94. Web.