In an exclusive interview with Smitha Verma, the Vice Chair of PMNCH’s Accountability Working Group, Sophie Arsenault, talks about why it is important to invest in women and the way forward towards building resilient communities.
Sophie Arsenault, the Vice Chair of PMNCH’s Accountability Working Group, emphasizes the importance of investing in women and building resilient communities. She highlights the impact of climate change on women and girls, particularly in terms of vulnerability and inequality. Climate-related disasters and extreme weather events disrupt access to essential sexual and reproductive health services, increasing the risks for women and girls. Additionally, gender-based violence and child marriage tend to increase during times of stress and scarcity caused by climate crises. Women and girls are also more likely to be killed during natural disasters due to a lack of basic survival skills. These challenges highlight the urgent need to prioritize women’s health and well-being in climate change policies and actions.
Climate Change’s Impact on Women
- Increasing temperatures, climate-related disasters, food and water insecurity disproportionately affect women and girls due to systemic gender inequality.
- Disruption of essential sexual and reproductive health services due to damaged facilities, interrupted medical supply chains, and reduced access to skilled birth attendants, hospitals, pregnancy care, and emergency obstetric care.
- Complications arise for women in low- and middle-income countries who continue to perform household chores during pregnancy, leading to health risks.
- Increased risk of gender-based violence and child marriage when women and girls have to travel long distances to gather necessities.
- Higher mortality rates for women and girls during natural disasters due to a lack of basic survival skills.
Investing in Women and Tackling Climate Change
The impacts of climate change on women’s and girls’ sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are often overlooked. To address this, countries need to prioritize SRHR in their climate change policies and programs. This includes conducting vulnerability and adaptation assessments specifically for women, children, and adolescents, defining targets for building climate-resilient health systems and infrastructure, and increasing investments in sectors that improve the social determinants of health. Failure to prioritize women’s health and well-being in climate policies will undermine the goals of the Paris Agreement.
The Role of Adolescents in Climate Change
Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change due to their stage of development and the long-term consequences they will face. They are at risk of immediate physical and psychological effects, as well as future impacts such as food insecurity, forced migration, and the sustainability of the planet. Extreme weather events and climate change also affect education and employment opportunities for adolescents. The 1.8 Billion Young People for Change campaign aims to bring together young individuals to advocate for increased investment and policies that address the impact of climate change on adolescent health and well-being.
The 1.8 Billion Campaign
The 1.8 Billion Young People for Change campaign, supported by PMNCH, aims to amplify young people’s voices and advocate for their health and well-being. The campaign includes a survey called “What Young People Want,” which gathers young people’s priorities for health and well-being. By September 2023, PMNCH expects to have secured 1 million responses to the survey and will launch the Agenda for Action for Adolescents. In October 2023, PMNCH will host the Global Forum for Adolescents, bringing together young individuals, advocates, global leaders, and decision-makers to address adolescent well-being.
This piece was originally published on letmebreathe.in.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 5: Gender Equality | Target 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls | Indicator not mentioned in the article |
| SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | Target 3.7: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health care services | Indicator not mentioned in the article |
| SDG 13: Climate Action | Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters | Indicator not mentioned in the article |
| SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities | Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status | Indicator not mentioned in the article |
| SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals | Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development | Indicator not mentioned in the article |
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 5: Gender Equality
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
- SDG 13: Climate Action
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
The article discusses the impacts of climate change on women and girls, their vulnerability to climate-related disasters, and the importance of investing in women to tackle climate change. These issues are connected to SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- Target 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls
- Target 3.7: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health care services
- Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters
- Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status
- Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development
The article highlights the need to end discrimination against women and girls (Target 5.1), ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health care services (Target 3.7), strengthen resilience to climate-related hazards and disasters (Target 13.1), empower and promote the inclusion of all individuals (Target 10.2), and enhance global partnerships for sustainable development (Target 17.16).
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
No, the article does not mention or imply any specific indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets.
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Source: pmnch.who.int
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