by Aiman Nadeem    18 December 2023

Today, the vast and reckless construction of dams on the river has diverted the natural pathways of rivers, resulting in the drying up of the land. The water is being polluted and the region is endangered due to excessive flooding. Not only this but there is an increased salinity with every passing moment which affects the local population and their subsistence economy. Among them, women are the most vulnerable. Since, women are deeply connected to natural resources, their unequal distribution, mismanagement by the government, and ineffective environmental policies, they are more vulnerable to the consequences that come by. Consequently, the relationship between environmental degradation and women can be explained in such a way, that women are the managers in every household around the world. Not only do they manage the domestic chores but they also manage the natural resources. For instance, Water, Vegetation, Fuel, etc. Thus, when these resources are affected due to environmental crises, women have to employ other means to fill the void. Additionally, in states where economic crisis are common, problems like circular debt, inflation, and a consumer cultu also worsens the situation for women. Hence, women not only suffer in a suffering economy and a male-dominated society but also are significantly impacted in a crumbling natural environment. However, this is just one of the links between environment and gender.

When we see young girls carrying buckets of water on their backs, from water banks to their homes which are far-fetched, it might not seem like a big deal at first.  However, it does prove how women from a very young age have been involved in the environmental management process. Even further into the system, women in the West are also affected differently from environmental degradation as compared to the women on the East or the Third World states. From a village girl in a subsistence economy to Greta Thunberg, an environmentalist, in Sweden, both of them are involved in the environmental management processes in different ways. For the village girl, sea-level rise, natural disasters, increased salinity of the soil, flash floods and droughts destroy her only source of living, and livelihood and directly affect her health and that of the coming generation. On the other hand, for Greta, it’s a matter of climate change awareness and establishment of environmental policies, since she is not a direct victim and is much safer as compared to women living in the East or rather rural areas. Though they are affected in different ways, both work for climate change awareness in different ways, and are contributing massively to environment-based developmental projects and awareness campaigns. Hence, this is why it is crucial to incorporate a gendered perspective when discussing the environment, which will help us to figure out the link between environmental degradation and gender. Through mainstreaming gender, we shall be able to understand how ecological destructions affect each gender differently. Though, being Homo Sapiens, both genders are under concern due to environment related issues. However, our focus is on women, since their ‘perceived femineity’ in today’s patriarchal world makes them even more vulnerable to environmental degradation. It is to be noted that Environmental Degradation is directly proportional to the concept of Gender, which relates the topic to the theory of ‘Ecofeminism’. Ecofeminism has made alot of contributions for the protection of women when it comes to nature. Ecofeminism is a theory that examines the connections between women and nature, or women and the environment. For ecofeminists, the induction of women in environmental awareness programs, and in the implementation of such policies is crucial to address climate change issues. This is because according to them, both women and the environment have been exploited and alienated.

It is under great concern, that women and Men are affected differently because of the environment. But, women around the world differentiate in terms of the effect too since they cannot be considered a homogenous group. For instance, the West VS East argument. The women in the West are less vulnerable to climatic changes since they are at a considerable distance from their agricultural food sources and supplies. Examples: Farms, Rivers, etc. Since the Eastern countries are more agriculture-based, their women suffer more when their food chain is disrupted due to climate changes. Similarly, Western countries are more involved in carbon emissions. Similarly, those women living in poor or Third World countries are more dependent upon the vegetation of their land, they have fewer resources or rather privileges such as healthcare, which helps them fight off diseases that result in the case of polluted groundwater. Despite these, women all over the world are a target of environmental degradation because of their biological characteristics. Since they are the carriers of future generations they succumb to environmental jeopardy very quickly as compared to men. Example: A woman’s body in the maternity period is more vulnerable to polluted water, and bad food sources. Similarly, pregnant women in rural areas might not have the same quality food and water that city women do. In addition to this is the population factor. In most of the rural countries, the population of women is more than that of men which makes them even more vulnerable to environmental hazards. These women as single mothers or elderly women are more prone to illiteracy and poverty. Moreover, if they become climate refugees, they suffer more in polluted camps and are even exploited. In addition to this, Poverty is connected to the environment in such a way that for instance, chemical factories are constructed mostly far from cities and near rural villages, which jeopardizes women’s health. Another argument is power. It cannot be denied that it is a man’s world. Hence, women in patriarchal, and male-dominated societies relate more to ecological problems. Since women’s socially constructed gender roles limit them to the domestic sphere, they are responsible for managing survival resources such as food, water, etc. Hence, women are related to the environment in the most unimaginable ways possible.

In this 3-tier analysis, we shall study environmental degradation’s effects on women. In environmental problems, the first is global warming, which means the warming of the earth’s temperature day by day. This warming has severe profound impacts on women. It increases the chances of infertility in women and makes them more prone to heat strokes due to their fragile physical health. Such that farming women have to bear the impact of global warming. Similarly, it causes the melting of glaciers which results in droughts, these droughts, in turn, affect farming women who gain a livelihood from yearly harvest action. Secondly, water wars, though are a prospect of the future, we can still see the profound impacts they will have on women. We know that energy needs water, when water is scarce, businesses shut down and jobs disappear and history shows that water scarcity causes conflict. So, instead of fighting oil wars, humans will soon be fighting water wars. There are already various Water based conflicts between India and Pakistan, on India’s construction of the Baglihar dam, conflict between India and Bangladesh on the Ganga River, India and Nepal, and India and China on the Brahmaputra River. Hence, any such conflicts and the lack of water from nearby sources will cause women to walk more distances and face health problems due to contaminated water. Thirdly, a sea-level rise which is a common phenomenon of climate change results in temporary and even permanent displacements of women and their families. In such a scenario, it becomes difficult for them to survive without proper facilities.

In the economic sphere, environmental crises occur as a result of active industrialization and uncontrolled globalization. Though living in a global village sounds good to the ears, it too has some bad sides. Such as increased emissions such as chlorofluorocarbons which damage the ozone layer, habitat destruction, resource waste, and deforestation which are all dangerous for the environment. Similarly, subsistence economies where women mostly earn their livelihoods are affected when over-fishing occurs. Another problem is excessive production which neglects the cost and benefit ratio and results in the exploitation of resources that most women have to manage. “Women produce 60 to 80 percent of food in developing countries, while inheritance laws and local customs often prevent them from owning or leasing land and securing loans or insurance. From the high level to the grassroots, the 1992 UN Earth Summit, India’s Chipko movement and Kenya’s Green Belt Movement all highlighted the role of women’s voices and perspectives in sustainable development”. (Bureau of International Information Programs)

In the social sphere, the environment affects women in many ways. For instance, as mentioned previously, increased poverty means increased vulnerability to health, illiteracy, and hygiene issues. Moreover, large-scale migrations also disrupt women and their role in sustainable development. Take the Congo Basin Forest as an example, the locals gain a lot of surpluses through its resources. However, women are unable to get the ownership of the land that they cultivate themselves, they also get less access to the surplus gained from selling wood. (Brown) In addition to this, though current climate change policies have a considerable amount of female participation, however, the women in Congo face discrimination in terms of decision-making related to environmental issues. Since we are aware that women are not just a homogenous group, when it comes to the decision-making process, we must keep in mind the additional participation of rural, and poverty-stricken women.

Consequently, to control environmental degradation, we must incorporate more women in the decision-making process of climate change treaties and policies. Since gender affects men, women and children, we must mainstream a gendered perspective through the theory of ecofeminism. Secondly, we must look at women as “Agents of Change” and not just victims. Women can play an additional role in sustainable development across the world. Thirdly, we must not treat all women as a homogenous group, because rural and poor women suffer more and are more vulnerable to environmental degradation, we must induce them first. Fourth, since excessive production can be a curse, we must control globalization and reform it through ‘Green Capitalism’. At the national level, we must introduce ‘Gender Responsive Budgeting’ which aims to establish the gender-based distribution of various resources. (A guide to Gender Responsive Budgeting, 2018). Through this, we can allow better access of women to climate-related funds, services, and policies.

Let us acknowledge a key female environmentalist, Wangari Maathai, who is known for her constant struggle for democracy, human rights, and environmental conservation. Time and again she had acknowledged the impact of environmental degradation on women. Since she belonged to Kenya, a Third World region where environmental issues like deforestation and climate change have adverse effects on poor women, her work is quite eminent. Now, we can determine, why should environmental degradation be studied from a gendered perspective. AND Why is Ecofeminism crucial to explain the relationship between gender and environment? Thus, from America to Congo, and from a rural woman living in Kenya to an environmentalist living in America, the impacts of environmental degradation are vast. They affect the livelihoods, the economies, and the health that our women lead. Since environmental degradation has been a long-term process, it will take a long time to reverse its adverse effects. This is why short-term measures would not help, rather we have to go for sustainable measures. So that our future generations can have assets to survive on. We need to bring gender into account as we understand the vulnerability of women to environmental challenges. However, it is even more important to not just limit women as victims of environmental degradation but rather change-makers. The solution is to create more gender-friendly policies, and incorporate gender-responsive budgeting in the administrative system of vulnerable states, since economy and environment are inter-related in many ways.  And our present women can have a safer future. We need to GO GREEN because there is no Planet B.