While climate change affects us all, it doesn’t affect us equally. Women, particularly those in marginalised communities, are disproportionately impacted by climate change through the exacerbation of existing inequalities.
Across the world, women depend more on, yet have less access to, natural resources and in many regions bear a disproportionate responsibility for securing food, water and fuel.
As such, the UN has estimated that by 2050, about 158 million more women and girls will be pushed into poverty, and will comprise 80 per cent of the people displaced by the impacts of climate change. Yet their voices are often left out of climate decision-making.
Given their frontline experience, women are in a unique position to drive change. So, how do we promote greater collaboration between genders to accelerate climate action? How do we amplify women’s voices to ensure those affected by climate change are part of the decision-making process? And what can be done to reduce the effects of climate change on women and girls?
In the second episode of the Women in Climate podcast series, host Naomi Kerbel, director of communications at SEC Newgate UK, speaks to Kathy Baughman McLeod, chief executive of Climate Resilience for All, Angelica Andrade, MPhil student at the Sustainable Mining Institute, University of Queensland and Rachel Kelly, Climate Editor at The National.