One of the biggest threats facing mankind in the immediate future is climate change. However, climate change doesn't affect all humans equally; the adverse effects are accentuated for vulnerable groups like women and gender minorities. The SDG goal 13 of the United Nations is about Climate Action and for that goal to be achieved, academic research and societal application must go in concord. While the gender disparities of climate change are starkly manifest in multiple areas like economic opportunity, housing or political action, this chapter will concentrate on the public health perspective only. The authors of this chapter found that there is a dearth of comprehensive academic discourse on the nuanced health effects of climate disasters in different gender groups. While women and LGBTQ+ people are particularly victimized by climate disasters, the men are also not without their own challenges. The chapter discusses its contents within the framework of a conceptual model. Suitable real-life examples from prominent historical events and current events have been depicted. The impacts of climate change on mental health, sexual and reproductive health, gender violence and LGBTQ+ community have also been explored with due diligence. A special section on fragile ecosystems like the coastal areas and the situation in South Asia, the most climate sensitive region of the world, has also been added. Online data resources like PubMed, PLoS, WHO and UNDP were used along with relevant information from several government bodies and NGOs, as available online. In conclusion, the chapter reveals the dual role of males both as perpetrators of climate change and its victims, the situation of females as disproportionate sufferers and LGBTQ+ community facing additional adversities due to the consequential effects of climate change.
TopGender: The Definition
But before we go any further, let’s discuss the meaning of “gender”.
Gender, according to the WHO (2011) is defined as
“the characteristics of women, men, girls and boys that are socially constructed. This includes norms, behaviours and roles associated with being a woman, man, girl or boy, as well as relationships with others. As a social construct, gender varies from society to society and can change over time”.
Or in simpler terms, “Gender determines what is expected, permitted and valued in a woman or a man in a pre-determined context” (WHO, 2014). So, the term “gender” includes both biological and social contexts. This social construct has significant effects on the life-path of the person and determines both their strengths and vulnerabilities.
To state an example; a woman in South Asia is supposed to feed her family and in quest for drinking water, she may have to travel considerable distance in challenging weather conditions. Similarly, in the time of emergencies, males are expected to be at the forefront risking their lives more than women. Thus, each gender group has its own challenges in the ensuing climate crisis. Neumayer & Plümper (2007) in their study have substantiated the fact that this disparity is more pronounced in those countries where the socioeconomic status of women is lesser to men. Whereas, in countries, where women share a status similar to men, the impact of natural disasters is nearly equal for both genders. (Neumayer & Plümper, 2007). Thus, the nuanced experiences of all genders deserve equitable attention.
The impact of natural disasters on males, females, and LGBTQ+ individuals vary over time and across societies. Vulnerability to climate-induced catastrophes is experienced by both genders, shaped not only by biological differences but also by societal roles and responsibilities assigned to them. (Easterling, 2000; Wisner et al., 2004). However, there are a few gender groups which deserve special attention from a public health point of view. This will be introduced in the next section.