Climate Change Fuels Gender-Based Violence, UN Report Warns

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Posted by newadmin on 2025-04-25 08:42:17 |

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A recent UN Spotlight Initiative report reveals a troubling connection between climate change and rising gender-based violence, particularly against women and girls. As climate impacts intensify through extreme weather, displacement, and economic instability, existing inequalities are deepening, putting millions at greater risk.

The report finds that for every 1°C rise in global temperature, intimate partner violence (IPV) increases by approximately 4.7 per cent. In 2023 alone, 93.1 million people were affected by climate-related disasters, with an estimated 423 million women experiencing IPV. Alarmingly, femicide rates spike by 28 per cent during heatwaves.

Marginalised communities bear the brunt of this crisis. Women living in poverty, Indigenous women, and those with disabilities face elevated risks due to limited access to resources and protections. Without intervention, IPV rates could nearly triple in sub-Saharan Africa if global temperatures rise by 4°C. However, limiting warming to 1.5°C could significantly reduce harm.

Women environmental defenders are also increasingly targeted. In countries like Guatemala and the Philippines, they face threats, eviction, and violence for opposing destructive environmental practices.

Despite the severity, only 0.04 per cent of climate-related funding addresses gender equality. The report urges policymakers to integrate gender-based violence prevention into climate strategies. Examples from around the world demonstrate that inclusive policies—like climate-focused retraining and disaster response planning—can effectively address both gender and climate crises.

Addressing gender-based violence is not just a moral imperative—it is essential for achieving climate justice and building a sustainable future.

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