While Climate Discussions Focus on Decarbonization and Energy Transition - Both Incredibly Urgent to Address, Millions of Low-Income Women Remain Exposed to Rising Temperatures
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 24, 2024 / According to NOAA, August was Earth's hottest month in 175 years, marking the 15th consecutive month of record-breaking global heat. Plus, Summer 2024 in the Northern Hemisphere is officially the hottest on record - a harsh warning of the climate crisis already expanding.
Extreme heat is a silent, invisible killer, responsible for more deaths than any other climate-driven hazard. A deeper understanding of its uneven effects reveals that women are disproportionately and significantly harmed by heat.
Women are nearly four times more heat intolerant than men and 14 times more likely to die in climate disasters. Many work outdoors in agriculture, street vending, waste recycling, and domestic labor without access to shade or cooling. This issue affects women globally - those in southern Europe die from extreme heat at twice the rate of men,and worldwide,60% more women than men lack adequate cooling, heightening their risk for heat-related illnesses.
The heat amplifies pre-existing inequalities. Female-headed households lose 8% more income to heat and women in agriculture, who make up the backbone of food production, produce up to 30% more food when given equal resources. Yet, 80% of agricultural policies ignore women's climate challenges, according to FAO. These are just examples of how the effects of heat are felt across the work force and supply chains, affecting not only women in vulnerable regions but economies everywhere.
Global institutions are beginning to step up. UN Secretary General António Guterres issued a global "Call to Action" on extreme heat in August 2024, calling on nations, philanthropy, and the private sector to act.
A path forward exists. "Extreme heat is at the beginning, middle, and end of every recent climate story, and it's time to address it at the pace and scale required. Women not only endure heat's wrath, but as the backbone of communities and proven risk managers and problem solvers can also drive long-term change and deliver impact," said Rachel Kyte, Board Chair of Climate Resilience For All, a global NGO working to protect the health and livelihoods of women and vulnerable communities from the impacts of extreme heat.
"We've implemented initiatives like the Women's Climate Shock Insurance and Livelihoods Initiative in India that provides financial protection and women-centered early warning that save lives and enhance climate resilience," said Kathy Baughman McLeod, CEO of Climate Resilience for All. "Our call during this Climate Week is to focuson more tangible and immediate actions, policies, and financing for heat resilience. As the planet warms, the future of women is inseparable from the future of our world. We must act now before the heat becomes unbearable for all of us. Every life can be saved from extreme heat."
Visit https://www.climateresilience.org.
Contact Information
Geraldine Henrich-Koenis
Chief Communications Officer
geraldine@climateresilience.org
SOURCE: Climate Resilience For All
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