Gender-sensitive adaptation to effects of climate change
Among large parts of the world's population, women still possess "traditional knowledge" based on gender-specific role distributions.
Using knowledge as a resource:
- This knowledge is often practical, for example about maintaining supplies, nutrition, food cultivation for personal use, and medicinal plants and medical procedures. The knowledge is also of immense value in adapting to the effects of climate change, both practically at local levels as well as in political decision-making processes.
- A further vital factor is increasing women and girls' involvement in global climate risk management.
- Death rates for women and children in natural disasters is 14 times higher than for men. XBy including women and girls in climate policy-making and climate initiatives, improved protection of life and health can be ensured. At the same time, women, in their roles as leaders and initiators, are contributing to society as a whole in overcoming the climate crisis.
Only if we use the knowledge and potential of women do we have a chance of overcoming the climate crisis.
Climate-related disasters are expected to push a further 100 million people into extreme poverty by 2030. These people will then also be disproportionately vulnerable to the effects of natural disasters. It is estimated that if all disasters could be prevented in one year alone, 26 million fewer people would live in extreme poverty. Gender-responsive climate risk insurance (CRI) can therefore provide risk protection that acknowledges how women and men are differently vulnerable to both climate risks and disaster-related losses in welfare. x