Include Women and Girls in the Transition Towards a Sustainable Society

There is no doubt that the human impact on the planet is negative. Climate change, with its rising temperatures, is shown in various ways such as heavy storms, drought, forest fires and floods leading to unforeseen consequences for individuals and whole communities. We are already witnessing the consequences: heavy rains spread chemicals and pollutants into rivers and lakes, while floods cause significant damage to buildings and infrastructure, these are a few examples of what rain can cause.

The Mediterranean region is struggling with water scarcity due to heatwaves, hindering agriculture and reducing crop yields. Meanwhile, Northern Europe is experiencing more intense rainfall and severe winter storms, destabilising electricity grids and jeopardizing food and water supplies. Rising ocean acidification and the expansion of marine dead zones threaten marine ecosystems, while mountain glaciers are receding rapidly, impacting biodiversity. ^[1]

Food security is increasingly threatened by climate change, with women and girls disproportionately affected due to their primary role in food provisioning across Europe. Additionally, climate change will have a financial impact on households (such as costs for food, water, insurance and electricity costs, as well as potential damages to houses and apartments.

To mitigate these impacts, we must urgently transition towards a sustainable future.

Sustainable Practices: A Key to Climate Resilience

The core principles of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle must be integrated into every aspect of society, from product design to consumer behaviour. Investments in the circular and green economy are essential to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact more rapidly. These financial incentives should be built on an equality basis. Empowering young people, especially girls and young women, to challenge overconsumption, and reduce food waste is crucial.

“One-third of all food produced around the globe is lost or wasted at some point in the food supply chain. In the EU, almost 59 million tonnes of food is wasted every year, which is 131 kg per person.” ^[2]

Did you know that making a one cotton t-shirt, 2 700 liters of fresh water is required, and this amount of water is what you drink for 2,5 years? From 2000 to 2020 the textile fibre production has almost doubled, from 58 million tonnes to 109 million tonnes. ^[3]

Improve the measurement on how climate change Impacts women and girls

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 offers a framework for measuring progress on responsible consumption and production, but we must prioritise gender equality by allocating at least 50% of environmental funding to women-led initiatives, projects and innovations. Women foster diverse and sustainable business environments. ^[4]

While the SDGs focus on environmental aspects – such as SDG 13 (Climate action), SDG 14 (Life below water), and SDG 15 (Life on land) – they miss the gender perspective, which needs to be integrated. SDG 6 (Clean Water & Sanitation) also needs to be updated and include how this affects women and girls. There are also other indicators in the SDGs where women and girls are more affected but not measured. One concrete example, SDG 3 (Good health and well-being) include goals like (indicator 3.9) reducing illnesses and the number of deaths from hazardous chemicals and pollution but fails to measure how these specifically affect women and girls.

Inclusive leadership is essential for addressing climate change

As the Beijing Platform for Action (1995, BPfA) emphasised, women’s participation in decision-making is vital. However, the declining representation of women in global climate conferences and within the UN is a concerning trend ^[5], that must be reversed. Women’s involvement is essential at all levels, from local communities to international negotiations. By fostering a bottom-up approach, we can create a more just and environmentally resilient future.

Empowering girls and women through education, training, and financial support for sustainable projects is crucial. A focus on increasing environmental and equality literacy is key and must be present at all levels in schools. ^[6]

A Global Perspective

“In a Worst-case Climate Path scenario, by 2050 close to 160 million women and girls globally may be pushed into poverty as a direct result of climate change. Food insecurity caused by climate change is also projected to increase by close to 240 million more women and girls, compared to 131 million more men and boys.” ^[7]

How You Can Contribute

As a Soroptimist member, you can also decrease your environmental footprint and increase your knowledge about your own impact. Tools like the Lifestyle Calculator by Doconomy and the UNFCCC Secretariat, or the Climate calculator – ClimateHero, can help you assess and reduce your carbon footprint.