How Gender Inequality and Climate Change Are Interconnected
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Provided by: United Nations|Published on: June 7, 2023
Articles/WebsitesScientist Reviewed
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Scientist Reviewed This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This article examines how climate change intensifies gender inequality, the unique challenges many women face during a natural disaster, and why climate change amplifies the dangers for women, girls, LGBTQ+ people, and other disadvantaged groups.
- Students will learn that climate change impacts the agricultural work of women in many countries, that gender inequalities lower the survival rate of women during natural disasters, and that humanitarian organizations generally struggle to accommodate the needs of women, girls, rural communities, and LGBTQ+ people.
Subjects: Civics, English Language Arts, Health
Authors: UN Women
Region: Global
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This article highlights multiple activists who are in the LGBTQ+ community.
- It mentions other threats that women, girls, and children face including human trafficking, child marriage, and conflict-related violence.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students need to understand that climate change can lead to an increase in natural disasters.
- Students should know what intersectional feminism is.
Differentiation
- This article could enhance a lesson about how social, political, and geological environments can impact one's personal health.
- For ELLs, it may be useful to define some words before these students dive into the reading.
- This article could supplement a lesson on how climate change impacts the livelihood of agricultural workers.
- After reading the article, the teacher could lead a classroom discussion on how governments around the world can increase gender equity.
This article from UN Women discusses the often overlooked impacts of climate change on women and why gender inequality makes women around the world bear the brunt of a changing climate. The roles of women in many parts of the world are highlighted as a product of gender inequalities that place them at greater risk from climate change. One example given is how women in low-income countries often work in agriculture, and as droughts increase, this makes it harder for them to earn a livelihood (often leading to girls being forced to leave school early to work). This further widens gender inequalities in education. The article also discusses how LGBTQ+ people are often not considered in humanitarian programs that often reinforce a patriarchy that leaves everyone else excluded. This resource is a concise, yet deep look into the interconnected nature of both climate and gender inequalities. The text is clear and colorful photos show women enduring climate disasters and activists working to change structural inequality. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
