Nicole Copani   (Theme 1)

There are still large disparities in the labor market and major imbalances in access to paid work between men and women. Sexual assault, exploitation, unequal division of domestic work, and lack of participation in governmental decision-making remain key hurdles. Gender equality and women’s empowerment are crucial for fostering long-term sustainable development since it has the potential to enable and perhaps expedite the fulfillment of all of the SDGs. The consequences of limiting women from rights and opportunities affect not just their lives, as individuals, but also hampers economic growth and hinders sustainable development. While gender equality is a separate goal (SDG 5), it is imperative to integrate it throughout all sustainable development activities and climate action.

Source: Canva

Gender Equality & Economic GrowthGender equality could increase economic productivity and improve development results for future generations. According to a recent McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) research, if women participated in the economy equally with men, they might contribute $28 trillion, or 26 percent, to yearly global GDP in 2025 (Krishnan et al., 2020). Worldwide, women earn less and are less economically productive than men (Ortiz-Spina et al., 2018).

According to Asma Lateef, director of the Bread for the World Institute, women carry the burden of unpaid chores like housekeeping and cooking, are primary caretakers in their families, and are more likely than males to spend extra money on their children’s health and education (Bread for the World, 2016). Women’s entrepreneurial activities are frequently restricted to the informal sector and restricted from expansion potential due to financial constraints since entrepreneurship has strong historical roots that are supported by cultural, social, and economic processes, as well as social and cultural attitudes and practices (Hamilton, 2013).

According to several studies, the most common challenges shared by women social entrepreneurs are that their sector is heavily dominated by men, that they have faced discrimination based on their appearance, that they have not been listened to or given decision-making power in group situations, and that fundraising and networking are easier for their male colleagues (WEF, 2021). It is vital to recognize that people of color, indigenous peoples, and people with disabilities are more likely to face such obstacles.

Hunger and the Gender Gap

Almost half a billion women and girls do not have access to the nutritious meals they require to live healthy, active lives. Women conduct labor that is critical to the survival of their families and communities, as well as the economic success of their countries. Worldwide, women are more likely than males to live in poverty across the world (UN Women, 2018). Food insecurity affects around 690 million people worldwide, with women constituting 60% of those affected (Rodriguez, 2021).

Responsible Consumption and Production

Women make more purchasing decisions for perishable home goods but have less influence on production chains. Women play significant and diverse roles in agriculture, but they are hampered by two major types of gender gaps: women have uneven access to productive resources in comparison to men, and there is insufficient knowledge of the roles and resources of men and women (Hoffmann, 2017).

Unsustainable production, waste generation, and pollution have a variety of negative effects on women, particularly those who are socially disadvantaged, through a variety of channels – from depleting natural resources on which they rely for subsistence, to poor labor conditions in the “feminized” workforce, to an increasing amount of unpaid waste management work, and increased involuntary and uninformed exposure to harmful products and chemicals. (BRS, 2019).

Women are frequently more exposed to toxins and waste as a result of various socioeconomic responsibilities that are characterized by gender. Due to cultural customs, professional and physical differences, and varied interests and attitudes, men’s and women’s consumption patterns differ and have different environmental footprints (OECD, n.d.-a). According to the UN, 40% of the poorest households in cities are led by women. Women produce most of the world’s food (50-80%), although they control less than 10% of the land (Osman-Elasha, n.d.).

Climate Change Vulnerability

Women are increasingly considered more vulnerable to the effects of climate change than males because they comprise most of the world’s poverty and are proportionally more reliant on threatened natural resources (Yavisnky, 2012). Since they have limited access to and control over environmental products and services; therefore, they have less participation in the decision-making, and they are not involved in the distribution of environmental benefits. As a result, women are less prepared to deal with climate change (Osman-Elasha, n.d.).

Heatwaves, droughts, rising sea levels, and severe storms disproportionately affect women. This is because women are more likely than men to live in poverty, have less access to basic human rights such as the freedom to migrate and obtain land and face systematic violence that intensifies during periods of instability (McCarthy, 2020).

Clean Energy

Women are disproportionately impacted by energy poverty, which worsens when gender disparity is compounded by age, class, and ethnicity (Živčič, 2021). Women’s empowerment and leadership in the energy business may have a remarkable influence on boosting clean energy and more efficient energy usage (OECD, n.d.-b). Lack of access to electricity limits the well-being and economic potential of women and girls in developing countries since most of them in rural areas spend a large amount of their day harvesting fuelwood, which not only perpetuates poverty and inequality but also results in missed opportunities for education and remunerated work (Dutta et al., 2017). Women and men have different preferences for energy policy options, especially when it comes to energy transition and renewable energy adaption (Fraune, 2016). Women are underrepresented at all levels of the energy sector, including bottom-up efforts such as community-based solutions, and energy policy is typically gender- blind (Fraune, 2015).

 Bread For The World. (2016, March 16). Gender Inequality Worsens Hunger and Poverty | Bread for the World. Bread for the World. https://www.bread.org/news/gender-inequality- worsens-hunger-and-poverty

BRS. (2019). Women disproportionately vulnerable to health risks from chemical and waste pollution. BRSMeas. http://www.brsmeas.org/?tabid=7965

Dutta, S., A. Kooijman and E. Cecelski (2017), SEAR ENERGY ACCESS AND GENDER GETTING THE RIGHT BALANCE, http://www.worldbank.org.

Fraune, C. (2016), “The politics of speeches, votes, and deliberations: Gendered legislating and energy policy-making in Germany and the United States”, Energy Research & Social Science, Vol. Volume 19, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2016.06.007.

Fraune, C. (2015), “Gender matters: Women, renewable energy, and citizen participation in Germany”, Energy Research & Social Science, Vol. 7, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2015.02.005.

Hamilton, E. (2013). Entrepreneurship Across Generations. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Hoffmann, N. (2017). Three misconceptions about women in agribusiness that hold companies back. World Bank Blogs. https://blogs.worldbank.org/voices/three- misconceptions-about-women-agribusiness-hold-companies-back

Krishnan, M., Madgavkar, A., Ellingrud, K., Yee, L., Hunt, V., White, O., & Mahajan, D. (2020, September 21). Ten facts about gender equality | McKinsey. McKinsey & Company; McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and- inclusion/ten-things-to-know-about-gender-equality

McCarthy, J. (2020). Understanding Why Climate Change Impacts Women More Than Men. Global Citizen; https://www.facebook.com/GLBLCTZN. https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/how-climate-change-affects-women/

OECD. (n.d.-a). 8. Women and SDG 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all | Gender and the Environment : Building Evidence and Policies to Achieve the SDGs | OECD iLibrary. OECD ILibrary.

Retrieved May 25, 2022, from https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/c7cbe91b- en/index.html?itemId=/content/component/c7cbe91b-en

OECD. (n.d.-b). 11. Women and SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns | Gender and the Environment : Building Evidence and Policies to Achieve the SDGs | OECD iLibrary. OECD ILibrary. Retrieved May 25, 2022, from https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/7ff96708- en/index.html?itemId=/content/component/7ff96708-en