“My message to the world: I want to tell people to stop wasting resources and I would like to find an opportunity to teach them the importance of managing resources like water. As much as men and women are affected by drought, women are more affected.
… If (my child) comes home and says “I’m hungry”, my husband will not be home. I am the one who deals with hungry children. As women, we are the controllers. I sleep last, children and men eat first, after they are fed I will eat…
It is very painful to see products fail. It’s really painful after you invest in a crop and have nothing to harvest.” -Additional ladies, Zimbabwe
Moreladies is one of the billions of people affected by climate change, and she tells a story whose data is resonating in countries around the world. The effects of climate change are becoming increasingly apparent, with 2023 set to be the hottest year on record—up to. It’s extreme weather the main driver of hunger In 18 countries where 72 million people face severe climate change. In CARE’s study of women, 4 out of 5 major crises reported in 2023 are women was associated with climate and extreme weather.
There are also effects of climate change it is deeply unequal. Climate change makes women work Another 55 minutes a week more than men. Heat stress and flooding increase the income gap between men and women 53 billion dollars annually.
Climate impacts are hitting food security hard and have been going on for years. New research shows effects extreme weather events and disasters predict a decrease in food security for people by up to 5 years. This is true not only if you have experienced the shock yourself, but also if you know people who have experienced extreme weather. The shocks affect entire communities and the road to recovery is long and slow.
This is a problem we can solve, but we need to think bigger
What can we do about it?
Build inclusive leadership: “If no women are involved, then there will be no successful solutions. And we need solutions towards the future. Considering that the destruction of the earth is by the hands of people, the solution is in our own hands. -Raquel Vasquez, Guatemala
As Raquel points out, female leadership should be part of the solution, but is often overlooked. This is especially true in local response plans. The research demonstrates that men who are confident that local government can handle a disaster are less hungry; but this does not apply to women. The fact that local disaster preparedness is associated with less hunger for men is good, but it also highlights that these positive effects are not felt by half of the population. This indicates a clear need to ensure that women are actively included in disaster response plans down to the local level so that women are not left behind in local disaster preparedness.
Treat women as leaders and part of the solution: When women are part of the preparedness plan, the outcomes change when disaster strikes. In the wetlands of northeastern Bangladesh, Lucky Akter now serves as a Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) community leader. In this role, she facilitates anticipatory planning and issues early warnings for the intensifying monsoon season that brings floods to her community of 100 families. Lucky is part of a network of nearly 3,000 DRR leaders (67% women) trained by CARE Bangladesh, all working to protect crops, assets and lives threatened by climate change. Elevating the voices and experiences of women like Lucky and supporting their adaptation efforts must be central to all climate response strategies.
Community-based adaptation planning at the local level—when done in an inclusive way that brings together community members, women, and youth with scientists and government officials—does work. For every $1 invested in climate planning, there is a $4 return.
Invest in the ability of people, especially women, to cope with crisis. When massive floods hit Malawi in 2015, researchers found that for every $1 invested in savings groups to help people prepare for the crisis, $29 income In 10 years—more than 3 times what projects that do not invest in it can realize.
