Women in global south more at risk to effects of climate change, says Yorkshire researcher

The storm marks just one of a number of extreme weather events seen over recent years, with scientists frequently noting that global warming is exacerbating the effects of, or increasing the intensity of such events.

In the global South, however, in places such as Bangladesh and South Africa, these events have a disproportionate effect depending on gender, driving increased risks for women when they occur.

A researcher in Yorkshire has now spent the past 15 years studying what these disproportionate effects look like, and what the root causes of them are.

“Its a complex issue when it comes to gender vulnerability to climate change,” says Dr Anika Haque, associate professor in human geography and environment at the University of York.

“Culture and social dimensions originate the problem, but it's not as simple as that.

“Women are considered second class citizens in most conservative societies, so when it comes to understanding context specific needs, vulnerabilities, and even aspirations, women are largely marginalised.

“There is a huge lack in the understanding of women's needs and vulnerabilities, because there is hardly any meaningful participation allowed from them in the decision making processes.”

This lack of input from women in the decision making processes can have a disproportionate and in some cases even deadly effect on women's lives, according to Dr Haque.

“Particularly in patriarchal societies, women are not encouraged to learn swimming,” she says.

"That was something that was identified during the last few big floods, and because of this, women are drowning.”

In many societies, Dr Haque notes, women are also restricted from wider social networks which would allow them access early warning signs for extreme climate events.

“A lack of access to social networks or even just socialisation with the wider community has multiple implications,” she says.

“If you think about households where women are not allowed to socialise outside their community, they cannot access early warning systems, meaning they cannot take appropriate precautions.

“The other thing is that their lack of flexibility to network with the wider community means that they lack in social capital. When it comes to climate change adaptation, particularly when it comes to vulnerable low-income communities, social capital is a vital aspect that can help.

“Because women cannot access and build that social capital, however, that means that they cannot access information or services provided by NGOs and the government. Even if on paper there are services provided by NGOs, you need to be aware of them to access them.”

Another effect of the lack of women being involved in decision making, according to Dr Haque, is that there are less or even no provisions for them in shelters set up for climate events.

One of the key ways to combat these issues, according to Dr Haque, is to actively engage with women in the communities, something she has been seeking to do through her research.

Finding a solution to the problem globally, however, is also held back by what she describes as a “victim narrative”.

“Women are conceptualised by a victim narrative, where they are seen as powerless and vulnerable," she says.

“Because there is a lack of understanding or acknowledgement about the agency of women, they are not considered reliable knowledge holders. This means that the strategies and plans and policies that are developed will be largely inclined towards that victim narrative, which is a huge problem.

One potential solution, notes Dr Haque, is an approach which takes these things into account.

“Its not just about saying social culture norms make women vulnerable,” she says.

“You need to understand how all relevant factors come together to form the context specific vulnerability. The way to solve this is with a whole-system perspective. That is really imporant in addressing this.”