Education of Women and Girls and the Connection to Climate Change

Education of women and girls is an important topic internationally for many reasons. When it comes to climate change, not only would a focus on better education for women be a benefit to fighting climate change, but it would in turn alleviate some of the effects to which females are more vulnerable. Knowing which actions you can take to help support the education of women and girls is important and could make an enormous difference in the life a young girl.

The looming and frightening dangers of climate change are clear to anyone who has been paying attention. Covered extensively in both the popular press and academic research, and experienced by millions across the planet in the form of fires, hurricanes, blistering heat waves, droughts, floods, and a wave of extinctions, climate change is considered the principal threat to humanity.

There are many actions we can take to support the health of the planet. While most people think that developing wind or solar farms, driving electric cars, or maybe eating meatless burgers are good options, one of the most important and powerful ways to support effective climate change is to focus on the education of women and girls.

If universal secondary education for girls were achieved today, the following is possible (Kwauk, 2020):

• The planet could have 1.5 billion fewer people by 2050 (equivalent to more than 85 gigatons of carbon emissions avoided)
• Women and girls would delay the first age of birth (resulting in less birth complications and deaths of mothers and babies)
• Women could increase the spacing between births allowing for more focus on the baby and a higher chance of survival of both mother and baby
• Family size would decrease, resulting in less use of resources and reducing carbon emissions
• The risk of poverty and illness would decrease
• The health of the babies a woman does have would improve
• The ability of girls’ leadership in communities (especially about social, political, and climate change policies that impact them) would increase, improving the economic outcome of their family and that of the community
• The ability of women and girls to create climate-resilient economies would increase

While climate change affects everyone on the planet, females are more vulnerable than their male counterparts (Nakate, 2021; Verma, 2020; World Vision, 2020).

• In the wake of disasters, women have a higher mortality rate than men and are far more likely to be displaced than men.
• Lack of education means women and girls do not possess the skills to adapt to and reduce the risks of climate change.
• Climate disasters often result in acts of sexual exploitation and human trafficking with women as the primary victims.
• In the aftermath of climate disasters, often the first thing that is sacrificed by many families is the education of female children.
• Climate disasters increase poverty levels, and this impacts female education the most. Families facing financial concerns after a climate crisis often chose to eliminate their daughter’s education before their son’s education.
• Girls made to leave school are asked to help in household chores and are married off early to ease the burden of the family. They may be married off as “water-wives” (women married and used to walk long distances to get water for the family). Women and girls around the world spend an average of 200 million hours every day getting water that is often dirty and dangerous to their health.
• Droughts have been shown to cause more child marriages and even female genital mutilation.
• Climate change keeps females stuck in a vicious loop of lack of education, poverty, and vulnerability to disease and violence.

What can be done to support education of women and girls? There are many actions possible. Just taking one action can make an enormous difference in the life of a young girl (Kwauk & Braga, 2017; World Vision, 2020).

• Support efforts to provide clean water to families. Organizations such as Generosity.org, Pure Water for the World, Water.org and others help communities across the world get clean water.
• Support women and girls in crisis by working with, or donating to, organizations that protect women and girls from abuse, child labor, trafficking, child marriage, and other offenses.
• Mentor a girl close to home.
• Promote women’s and girls’ reproductive rights to ensure equitable climate action. Support organizations such as CARE, Plan International, Pathfinder, The Nature Conservancy, and the Sierra Club work to combine reproductive health services with environmental efforts to support climate health.
• Invest in girls’ education to foster climate participation and leadership. Empower women and girls on every level to be involved in conservation and protection efforts, and community leadership positions. Organizations such as the International Gender Champions Network or the Women’s Political Leaders Global Forum support women-centered initiatives.
• Develop girls’ life skills for a green economy by supporting workforce development efforts to ensure women and girls have the skills for green sector jobs.
• Vote! Get educated and support the education of women and girls about the political process, the stances of candidates in political elections, and the political positions of community members running for local office.
• Invest in a small women-owned business through small business (“micro”) loans.
• Use your voice to help keep girls in school. Consider asking your representative in the U. S. House or Senate to cosponsor legislation that supports keeping girls in school or supports the delivery of healthy foods for schools.

Your voice and your actions matter! Take one small step today to promote the education of women and girls in your community and/or across the world to reduce the impact of climate change.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.  –  Margaret Mead

References

Kwauk, C. (2020). Opinion: Girls’ education as a solution to climate change is about more than fertility. Retrieved May 6, 2021 from https://www.devex.com/news/opinion-girls-education-as-a-solution-to-climate-change-is-about-more-than-fertility-96867

Kwauk, C., & Braga, A. (2017). To fight climate change, educate and empower girls. Retrieved May 6, 2021 from https://www.newsecuritybeat.org/2017/09/fight-climate-change-educate-empower-girls/

Nakate, V. (2021). Educating young women is the climate fix no one is talking about. Retrieved May 6, 2021 from https://www.wired.co.uk/article/educating-girls-climate-change

Verma, R. (2020). Why climate change is causing girls to drop out of school. Retrieved May 6, 2021 from https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2020/11/climate-change-and-education-of-women/

World Vision. (2020). 7 ways to empower women and girls. Retrieved May 3, 2021 from https://www.worldvision.org/gender-equality-news-stories/seven-ways-empower-women-girls