Climate change worsening gender-based violence

21st September 2022


Web p5 Climate change worsening gender based violence shutterstock 1236414754

Related Topics

Author

IEMA

Climate change is worsening gender-based violence and mental-health problems for vulnerable women in Malawi, a study by the Glasgow Caledonian University has found.

Researchers found evidence that climate change is making gender-based violence and mental-health problems worse for the most vulnerable women in Malawi.

Surveying 213 women, the researchers found that 86% had seen their mental health and wellbeing affected by changes in weather. Mothers worried about disasters making it impossible to provide food for their children, leading to malnutrition and hunger – which would have an effect on education, health, and development. Abuse was also a theme, with 24 women disclosing that they had been physically abused, and 44 saying that “husbands beat their wives” frequently.

Professor Tahseen Jafry, director of the Mary Robinson Centre for Climate Justice, said: "These testimonies are harrowing and provide clear evidence that climate change does contribute to changes in mental health and issues of violence faced by women.

"This research is important to ensure that solutions to the impacts of climate change are people centred; in that they do not ignore what vulnerable groups are personally experiencing."

Malawi, in south-eastern Africa, is highly susceptible to climate change and can experience extreme and unpredictable weather events such as drought, flooding, and cyclones. This can lead to loss of life and contribute to food shortages, destruction of livelihoods, displacement, and deepening poverty, all of which, the researchers say, negatively impact the population's physical and mental health.

It is hoped that these testimonies will help Malawi’s decision-makers to identify, design and develop community-led climate adaptation solutions that minimise the risk to women’s mental health.

Image credit | Shutterstock

Subscribe

Subscribe to IEMA's newsletters to receive timely articles, expert opinions, event announcements, and much more, directly in your inbox.


Transform articles

Facing the climate emergency challenge in local government

It’s well recognised that the public sector has the opportunity to work towards a national net-zero landscape that goes well beyond improving on its own performance; it can also influence through procurement and can direct through policy.

19th March 2024

Read more

The UK government’s carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) strategy is based on optimistic techno-economic assumptions that are now outdated, Carbon Tracker has warned.

13th March 2024

Read more

The UK’s new biodiversity net gain (BNG) requirements could create 15,000 hectares of woodlands, heath, grasslands, and wetlands and absorb 650,000 tonnes of carbon each year.

13th March 2024

Read more

The UK government’s latest Public Attitudes Tracker has found broad support for efforts to tackle climate change, although there are significant concerns that bills will rise.

13th March 2024

Read more

Multinational corporations are undermining their net-zero commitments with excessive air travel and no plans to reduce ‘the low hanging fruit’ of carbon footprints, a study by Transport & Environment has found.

13th March 2024

Read more

The UK government’s climate adaptation plans are ‘inadequate’ and falling ‘far short’ of what is required, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) has warned today.

13th March 2024

Read more

Large businesses across the world are avoiding climate action due to fear they will be called out for getting their work wrong, according to a new Carbon Trust report.

29th February 2024

Read more

A thought-provoking discussion on how storytelling can change the world took place in Central London last night, alongside an exclusive sneak preview of an upcoming IEMA film series.

29th February 2024

Read more

Media enquires

Looking for an expert to speak at an event or comment on an item in the news?

Find an expert

IEMA Cookie Notice

Clicking the ‘Accept all’ button means you are accepting analytics and third-party cookies. Our website uses necessary cookies which are required in order to make our website work. In addition to these, we use analytics and third-party cookies to optimise site functionality and give you the best possible experience. To control which cookies are set, click ‘Settings’. To learn more about cookies, how we use them on our website and how to change your cookie settings please view our cookie policy.

Manage cookie settings

Our use of cookies

You can learn more detailed information in our cookie policy.

Some cookies are essential, but non-essential cookies help us to improve the experience on our site by providing insights into how the site is being used. To maintain privacy management, this relies on cookie identifiers. Resetting or deleting your browser cookies will reset these preferences.

Essential cookies

These are cookies that are required for the operation of our website. They include, for example, cookies that enable you to log into secure areas of our website.

Analytics cookies

These cookies allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors to our website and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way our website works.

Advertising cookies

These cookies allow us to tailor advertising to you based on your interests. If you do not accept these cookies, you will still see adverts, but these will be more generic.

Save and close