Sec. 602. Findings
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Congress makes the following findings: Women in the United States and around the world are— the linchpin of families and communities; and often the first to feel the immediate and adverse effects of social, environmental, and economic stresses on their families and communities. The United Nations has recognized, as a central organizing principle for its work, that no enduring solution to society’s most threatening social, economic and political problems can be found without the full participation, and the full empowerment, of the world’s women. .
The United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Report 2013 predicted that the number of people living in extreme poverty could increase by up to 3,000,000,000 by 2050 unless environmental disasters are averted by coordinated global action. Climate change is already forcing the most vulnerable communities and populations in developing countries to face unprecedented climate stress, including— slow onset effects of climate change, such as sea level rise, increasing temperatures, water scarcity, and drought; and severe weather events and floods, which can lead to reduced agricultural productivity, food insecurity, and increased disease.
Climate change— exacerbates issues of resource scarcity and lack of accessibility to primary natural resources, forest resources, and arable land for food production; contributes to increased tension and instability, particularly in countries and regions with poor or weak governance systems; and increases the workload and stresses on women farmers, who are estimated to produce nearly 50 percent of the food consumed in most developing countries, which exacerbates food insecurity.
Women will disproportionately face harmful impacts from climate change, particularly in poor and developing countries in which women regularly assume increased responsibility for— growing the family’s food; collecting water, fuel, and other resources; earning money; and sending remittances. Epidemics, such as malaria and Zika, are expected to worsen and spread due to variations in climate, putting women and girls (especially those who are pregnant, who are lactating, or who hope to become pregnant) and children without access to prevention and medical services at risk.
The direct and indirect effects of climate change have a disproportionate impact on marginalized women, including refugees, displaced persons, migrants, religious, racial, or ethnic minorities, adolescent girls, lesbian and trans women, women living in poverty, and women and girls with disabilities and those infected with HIV. Conflict has a disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable communities and populations, including women, and can be exacerbated in regions of the world with changing or harsher climates, leading to migration, forced displacement, and conflicts over scarce natural resources, including land and water.
Internally displaced, refugee, and stateless women and girls face extreme violence and threats, including— being forced to exchange sex for food and humanitarian supplies; being at increased risk of gender-based violence, sexual exploitation, and abuse; reduced access to services and care; and increased risk for contracting HIV or sexually transmitted infections, having an unplanned pregnancy, and experiencing poor reproductive health. Climate change is predicted to lead to increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather conditions, precipitating the occurrence of natural disasters around the globe.
The relocation and death of women as a result of climate change-related disasters often has devastating impacts on social support networks, family ties, and the coping capacity of families and communities. The ability of women to adapt to climate change is constrained by underlying gender inequality, including a lack of— economic freedoms; property, land tenure, and inheritance rights; access to financial resources, education, family planning, and reproductive healthcare services; and quality tools, equipment, and technology that support economic opportunity and independence.
Despite having unique capabilities and knowledge to promote, plan, and execute activities to enhance communities’ climate change adaption and resilience capacities, women often have insufficient resources, are not empowered to take such actions, and are often excluded from leadership and decision-making processes. Women have a multiplier effect because women use their income and resources, when given the necessary tools, to increase the well-being of their children and families, playing a critical role in reducing food insecurity, poverty, and socioeconomic effects of climate change.
Women are often underrepresented in the development and formulation of policy regarding mitigation and adaptation to climate change, even though women are often in the best position to provide and consult on adaptive strategies.