As the world grapples with the growing climate crisis, it’s important to realise that the impacts of climate change are not felt equally by everyone. Women, particularly those in vulnerable communities, face disproportionate challenges as a result of both climate disasters and longstanding gender inequalities.
How are Christian Aid's gender-responsive programmes helping empower women to lead in building climate resilience? Why is addressing gender inequality essential for creating lasting solutions to the climate crisis?
How are climate change and gender inequality connected?
Women often bear the brunt of climate-related disasters. In many places, they are responsible for gathering food, water, and firewood – all of which become harder to access during floods, droughts or other extreme weather events. As a result, women frequently experience time poverty, which limits their ability to engage in leadership or decision-making roles, both in their homes and communities.
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Increased unpaid care responsibilities: climate disasters increase women's household tasks, limiting their time for paid work.
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Precarity of livelihoods and food security: climate change reduces rural women's agricultural income and increases food insecurity.
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Health impacts (including mental health): unpaid care and food shortages negatively affect women's physical and mental health.
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Limited opportunities for leadership and decision-making: traditional norms prevent women from participating in critical decision-making during climate emergencies.
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Lack of access and control over key resources: women’s lack of control over resources undermines their ability to protect their livelihoods from climate impacts.
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In Kenya, climate-induced rural-to-urban migration often leaves women to manage households on their own. Similarly, in Bangladesh, while women have benefitted from improved access to water and early warning systems, men still dominate household and community decision-making, leaving women’s voices unheard during critical moments.
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What can be done?
Christian Aid has been working to address these challenges by implementing gender-responsive programmes that specifically focus on the needs of women and girls. Our initiatives have shown that when women are empowered to lead, they can help their communities become more resilient to climate impacts.
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Increased leadership opportunities: In Kenya, our projects have encouraged women to take on leadership roles in income-generating activities. In Bangladesh, women have been involved in disaster risk reduction projects. These programmes help women gain greater financial independence and a more significant voice in decision-making spaces.
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training and knowledge sharing: We’ve also focused on building women’s knowledge around early warning systems and first aid, which strengthens their ability to respond to climate emergencies and keep their families safe.
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A gender-transformative approach
There is a need for a shift towards gender-transformative programming. This means not just addressing the immediate needs of women during climate crises but also tackling the root causes of gender inequality. A gender-transformative approach involves challenging traditional gender roles and ensuring that women are given equal access to resources like land and decision-making power.
For example, although many women in Kenya and Bangladesh have gained agricultural knowledge and access to land through development programmes, they often lack the power to make decisions on how the land is used. This limits their ability to protect their families and livelihoods from the impacts of climate change.
By addressing these power imbalances, we can ensure that women are not just beneficiaries of climate resilience programmes but active participants in shaping them.
The path to resilience
Gender inequality and climate change are deeply interconnected, and addressing one without the other will not lead to lasting solutions.
At Christian Aid, we’re committed to continuing our work on both fronts. By empowering women, challenging discriminatory norms, and promoting gender equality, we can help build communities that are more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
Read the full research summary
