Dr. N. Munal Meitei,
Environmentalist, email- nmunall@yahoo.in
Women’s Equity Day is celebrated August 26. Mahatma Gandhi once echoed the woman as the companion of a man who is gifted with equal mental capacity and so women should not suffer. This thought led to the observation of this day after formation of the 19th Amendment of the US Constitution. Truly, this day is more than just a date on the calendar; it is a reminder of the importance of gender equality in our lives.
Gender bias is undermining our social fabric and devalues all of us. It is not just a human rights issue; it is a tremendous waste of human potential. By denying women equity, we deny half the world’s population a chance to live life at its fullest. Political, economic and social equality for women will benefit the world equally. Our unity can eradicate prejudice and work for equal rights and respect for all.
But gender inequality persists everywhere and stagnate social progress. Yet, very few countries integrate a gender lens to their environmental and policy making. On average, women in the labor market still earn 23% less than men globally and women spend about three times as many hours in unpaid domestic and care work as men.
Women’s equity and environmental sustainability are gaining political momentum as global challenges that require urgent coordinated action. Women and men around the world are affected in a differentiated way by climate change, deforestation, land degradation, desertification, unsustainable infrastructure, growing water scarcity and inadequate sanitation.
Environmental Justice or Equality in every single person has the right to live in a healthy environment, regardless of their race, cast, creed, age, gender and nationality. No one’s health or quality of life should suffer because of the environment they live in.
Research shows that gender equality is linked to peace, even more so than a country’s GDP or level of democracy. States with better gender equality are likely to be more peaceful. Women’s equity is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world, but the world is not on track to achieve gender equality by 2030.
Climate change induced natural disasters put a perilous to women and girls in even more vulnerable positions. When women are in equal status, their health will be impacted positively. One 2016 study from the University of California looked at big companies with some women in the top positions, performed better than the companies with mostly men at the top.
In India, women during the early Vedic period enjoyed equal status with men in all aspects of life and women could select and married their own husbands as were done in swayamvar. Presently, India’s gender equality is challenging as we rank 129th globally, with a 64.1% closure of its gender gap. The country ranks 65th in female political representation as women still face hurdles in gaining equal political power which is evident in the recent Lok Sabha result, where just 79 MPs are women.
India also ranked 142nd in women’s health and safety and 112th in women’s literacy rates. Further, crime against women continues to be a serious issue and the 9 August, Kolkata rape case of Moumita Debnath, a PG Doctor at RG Kar Medical College is a vivid example.
Nari Shakti Adhiniyam, Janani Suraksha Yojana, POSHAN Abhiyaan and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana are the schemes for improvement of women. The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, CBSE Udaan, Mahila-e-Haat, Swadhar Greh Scheme, Women Helpline and One Stop Centres provide services for overall development of women status in the country.
Women and girls have been powerful drivers of change for climate adaptation and risk mitigation in their homes, communities and at the policy level. Their participation and leadership have led to inclusive and effective climate action across the world.
A report launched at COP28-2023 at Dubai suggests that by 2050 climate change may push up to 158 million more women and girls into poverty and cause 232 million to face food insecurity. Extreme weather conditions such as storms, floods or heat waves are on rise, forcing thousands of people to leave their homes worldwide. According to UN Environment, 80% of the people displaced by climate change are women and girls facing heightened risks of poverty, violence or unintended pregnancies as they migrate to safer locations.
Additionally, women are affected by compromised access to clean air, water and sanitation facilities. Climate crisis affect women’s health with preterm birth, low birth weight and poorer maternal health and complicates during pregnancy and at delivery. At the same time, it affects menopausal systems and increases prenatal maternal stress, while heavy metals in breast milk have been associated with abnormal immune function in newborns with many disorders in their later life.
The nature of the impact on women’s health from climate change may vary, even within the same country. Therefore the women’s reproductive health should be included in countries’ climate action plans as well as into climate disaster relief. Access to family planning is one of the cornerstones of gender equality as it has a positive impact not only on individuals, but also in the development of societies.
Women account for a large proportion of the more than 4 million deaths a year from in-door air pollution. Environmental degradation can also lead to increased gender-based violence. On the other hand, women’s economic, social and political empowerment can help accelerate action on climate, environmental protection and conservation.
Women’s participation in environmental decision-making is important for advancing both gender equality and environmental action. The presence of women in political decision-making is linked to more ambitious climate goals and policies. In civil society, women around the world are creating powerful networks to combat environmental degradation and tackle climate-related inequalities. Despite these benefits, significant gender gaps in environmental leadership persist across countries and sectors; with some of the widest occurring in countries especially vulnerable to climate change has impacted most.
Regardless of where you live in, women’s equality is a fundamental human right. This day is an important journey towards gender parity and serves as a reminder to protect the environment with some major steps of achieving women’s equality.
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