Gender and Climate Change

There are 48.7 million adolescent girls across the MENA region and today, more adolescent girls than ever before live in drought impacted communities; fearing walks to school during rainy season; and migrating to seek refuge from floods, fires, or water- or food scarcity. These adolescent girls bear a double burden: restricted not only by their age, but also by gender norms that prevent far too many from becoming educated, healthy, informed, skilled and empowered as fully active citizens.

Challenges:

Girls’ household responsibilities and distance to school in increasingly harsh conditions challenges their access to learning. The lack of water and sanitation services may affect girls and adolescent girls’ reproductive health, with a potential negative impact on their psychosocial and well-being, In some contexts, risks associated with climate change exacerbate possibility of gender-based violence, including child marriage which is reported as a negative coping mechanism due to climate change induced economic insecurity. Indeed, the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance, notes that gender-based violence is prevalent where there is both conflict and risk of experiencing extreme weather events. Climate change may also increase food insecurity thereby contributing to high anemia rates for adolescent girls. reductions in educational attainment, lower academic performance, and higher absenteeism among girls who have experienced climate shocks.

In periods of crisis, including crises brought about by climate change, such as more-frequent and more-severe droughts and floods, girls’ drop out from school more often than boys due to the gendered expectation that they should help with domestic household responsibilities or look after their siblings. These expectations exacerbate existing barriers to education for girls.

water scarcity has increased the travel distance for adolescent girls to fetch potable water, which in turn forces girls in rural areas to drop out of school.

Decline in clean water due to water scarcity also makes adolescent girls’ menstrual and other hygiene management more difficult, with implications for the sexual and reproductive health, well-being, and educational opportunities.

Heatwaves, drought and water scarcity have an impact on agriculture and livelihoods, especially impacting communities in MENA where the largest percentage of female formal la bour-force.

Girls are especially vulnerable to malnutrition during adolescence, with an increased risk of iron deficiency anemia due to growth spurts and menstruation.