The International Women’s Day’s campaign theme this year is #BreakTheBias. “Imagine a gender-equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive.” I am going to use this opportunity to discern the significant relationship between gender, social equity and climate change.
We must recognise that without gender equality in today’s times, a sustainable and balanced future remain out of every woman’s reach, despite all the niceties to do with this special day. It has shrunk to become only a yearly event to talk about the situations women are subjected to all over the world.
Women also experience the greatest traumas of the climate crisis for it leads to certain kind of gender inequalities and puts their lives and livelihoods at (comparatively greater) risk. They are surviving within the limits available to marginalised populations.
Women have deeply been affected by the whirlwind of Covid-19. Their most basic entitlements such as income from agricultural jobs and MGNREGA wages, access to clean drinking water and electricity, have certainly been impacted in the last two virus-ridden years.
On the larger question of how to challenge biases: social welfare organisations that are working towards alleviating poverty are bound to know that women have been struggling arduously to bring themselves out of abject poverty.
All over the world, women depend upon natural resources more, and yet, they often have limited access to many of them. Women frequently endure a disproportionate responsibility for sorting out the basic needs of their families, including food, water and fuel.
Undeniably, women are facing the intense pressure from the impacts of climate change. They are also preparing themselves to lead environmental adaptation and remedies.
Without the inclusion of half of the world’s living population, it is not controversial to say that whatever cures exist for a sustainable future and a gender-equal world, are not going to be realised in the coming, turbulent days.