Article by Suha Ibrahem

Photo by Li-An Lim on Unsplash

In a time where the UN emissions gap report indicates that the world could warm by 3.1C, it is safe to say that the majority agree that climate change solutions are imperative to save the planet from environmental catastrophe. However, what is forgotten is the importance of environmental justice in solving climate change issues which calls for an intersectional approach to climate change solutions. The rate at which women are being acknowledged for facing the brute of environmental problems is at a slow pace which we simply don’t have time for. Now more than ever, women need to be at the forefront of solving environmental issues before it’s too late.

It is very easy to look at climate change as a non-gendered issue, after all, climate change affects everyone regardless of their gender. However, gender inequalities exist beyond economic differences (which is commonly cited when talking about gender inequality), existing in every global problem with women and girls always being disproportionately affected.

This can be credited to gender, a social construct in which women and men have been socialised to act in a way that society would say constitutes as being  ‘man’ and ‘woman’. Judith Butler argues that gender is performative, and the existence of gender comes as individuals perform their roles (Butler,1990). The idea that sex informs of how individuals are meant to behave has significantly contributed to the power imbalance which exist between women and men in which men dominate, and women are exploited. MacGregor writes ‘The lens of gender brings into acute focus the processes, norms, and power relations through which we can recognize the workings of hegemonic masculinities and hegemonic femininities in all social phenomena’ (MacGregor,2020, pp 234-248). This can be seen in one myth that has been perpetuated by gender roles which is that men are best suited in the world of work whilst women are best suited at staying in the household being caregivers. This myth produced structural inequalities such as women being less likely to re-enter the workplace after giving birth, women carrying out 60% more unpaid work than which spent on taking care of the family household (Neitzert,2020) and women making up 43% of the agriculture labor force in developing countries whilst earning 20 – 30% less than their male counterparts (Oxfam,2024). When considering that local climate change problems directly impact households and agriculture, it is clear in this example that gender inequality and environmental justice are interconnected.

So, what is the solution? Most call for more political power for women to ensure women have input in environmental policies. Sherilyn MacGregor calls for a gender balance in environmental decision making; ‘It seems that, when women and men work together and blend their respective experiences and insights, they are more likely to arrive at plans and policies that improve sustainability (MacGregor, 2020, P283). However, with the severity of climate change approaching, I would argue that women need to be at the forefront in environmental decision making. Gender inequality in environmental problems have led women to lead the campaign of environmental justice often because they are the first victims of climate change problems, seen with the Love Canal incident where the alarm was raised by a group of stay-at-home moms about the environmental safety of their neighborhood. This led to 100 dangerous chemicals being found underground (Tomlinson, 2024).

We no longer have the time for women in power to educate men on the importance of addressing gender inequality when creating environmental policies so that they can work together – women have already spent so long in convincing our patriarchal society that we deserve equal rights to men. With women often being at the forefront of campaigning for environmental justice, their experience would allow for gender inequalities to be acknowledged and addressed. This is evidenced in the studies that have shown that countries with high portions of women in parliament are more likely to have stricter climate policies and ratify environmental treaties (UN, n.d).

Incorporating gender quality with environmental justice is critical paving a future of sustainability. With the rapid acceleration of climate change, it is critical that environmental policies are inclusive and address w the inequalities that exist. To do this women, from all experiences and backgrounds, have to be given the space and freedom to be at the forefront of creating sustainable climate change policies. In doing this we must look at gender as an analytical framework in order examine the gender inequalities.

References:

Butler, JB, 1990, Gender troubles- feminism and the subversion of identity, Routledge.

MacGregor, MS, 2020, Gender matters in environmental justice – Environmental Justice: Key Issues, Routledge.

Neitzert, EN,2020, Spirals of inequality- How unpaid care is at the heart of gender inequalities, The Women’s Budget Group.

United Nations, Why women are the key to climate change, Available at Why women are key to climate action | United Nations.

Oxfam International,2024, Empowering women farmers to end hunger and poverty, Available at Empowering women farmers to end hunger and poverty | Oxfam International.

Tomlinson, MT, Gendered Inequalities and Environmental Justice (PowerPoint presentation), University of Manchester, Available at https://online.manchester.ac.uk/bbcswebdav/pid-16491720-dt-content-rid-189824739_1/xid-189824739_1.

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