Take any two areas of SDGs, seemingly unrelated to each other, and critically evaluate the intersectionality. For example, how do gender inequities and climate action intersect? How do inequities in the context of gender identities impact global climate change? And in what ways might addressing climate change diminish gender inequities?
Economic Inequality: Women are often dependent on natural resources for their livelihoods, particularly in agriculture. Climate-related events like droughts or floods can destroy their income sources, and they often have fewer financial resources or land rights to fall back on.
Gender inequities are not just a result of climate change; they also exacerbate it by limiting the world's capacity to respond. When women are excluded from decision-making, we lose valuable knowledge and skills.
Exclusion from Decision-Making: Women are often underrepresented in leadership roles, from local community councils to national and international climate negotiations. This exclusion means that climate policies and projects are often designed without considering the specific needs and experiences of women, making them less effective and sometimes even harmful.
Lost Knowledge and Innovation: Women, particularly Indigenous women, often possess invaluable traditional knowledge about sustainable land management, resource conservation, and early warning signs of environmental change. When gender inequities prevent this knowledge from being used, the world loses a critical resource for climate adaptation and mitigation.
Limited Economic Empowerment: In many places, women's unequal access to resources like land, credit, and technology limits their ability to adopt climate-resilient practices. For example, female farmers may not have the financial means to invest in drought-resistant crops or efficient irrigation systems, which could otherwise enhance food security and sustainability.
A gender-responsive approach to climate action can be a powerful tool for advancing gender equality. By intentionally integrating a gender perspective into climate policies, we can create solutions that are more effective and equitable for everyone.
Empowering Women as Agents of Change: Involving women in climate action—from policy design to implementation—can empower them as leaders and decision-makers. Projects that provide women with access to climate-resilient farming techniques, clean energy technologies, and financial resources can increase their economic independence and leadership within their communities.
Addressing Systemic Issues: Climate solutions, such as investing in renewable energy, can reduce women's unpaid labor burden (e.g., spending hours collecting firewood), freeing up time for education, work, or community engagement. This can help dismantle some of the institutional barriers that perpetuate inequality.
Social justice issues, even those that seem local, are inextricably linked to global systems and each other. By examining two seemingly unrelated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we can see how they are deeply intertwined. Let’s take SDG 5: Gender Equality and SDG 13: Climate Action to illustrate this.
The intersection is one of disproportionate impact. Climate change is not gender-neutral; it is a "threat multiplier" that amplifies existing gender inequalities. Globally, women and girls are often more vulnerable to the effects of climate change because of existing social, economic, and political inequalities.
Vulnerability to Disasters: Women are more likely to die in climate-related disasters, such as floods or heatwaves, due to factors like cultural norms that limit their mobility or access to information. In the aftermath, they are often less able to access relief and resources.
Increased Workloads: As climate change leads to resource scarcity, women—who are often responsible for securing food, water, and fuel for their families—face an increased burden. They must travel farther and spend more time on these tasks, which can lead to girls being pulled out of school to help.