Heatwaves and floods inflict greater economic pain on rural women than men because climate change intensifies existing inequalities, the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization said in a new report.
Scientists say the effects of rising temperatures are already being felt most acutely by the poorest and most vulnerable people on the planet.
“Failure to address the unequal impacts of climate change on rural people will intensify the already large gap between the haves and have-nots, and between men and women,” the FAO said in the report.
It said rural, women-led households in low and middle income nations already face more financial burdens than men when disaster strikes.
If these “significant existing differences” in wages are not addressed, the gap will worsen, it added.
It estimated that if average temperatures increase one degree Celsius, women would face a 34 percent greater loss in total income compared to men.
Scientists estimate current global temperatures are around 1.2C hotter overall than they were in the late 1800s, causing a relentless increase in destructive weather such as floods, storms, and heatwaves.
The FAO said women are more vulnerable to climate changes than men because of deep rooted “social structures, and discriminatory norms and institutions” that leaves women bearing a much larger domestic and childcare burden than men, which limits their opportunities to study and find a job. It also makes it harder for them to migrate or make money from non-farming activities when climate change affects their crops.
As our country prepares for the impacts of climate change on the economy, especially in rural areas, it would be good for the government to keep in mind its added impact on women, especially if things don’t change for the better in that regard. The choice we have is to close the gap so those inequalities are less pronounced, or if that is not possible, to add more support for affected women so they can cope better.
Either way, we can’t stand idle as a huge chunk of the population stands to be more affected by climate change, which in the end, can be blamed on humans.*
