BANGLADESH INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AND STRATEGIC STUDIES

GENDER ISSUES IN CLIMATE CHANGE: BANGLADESH PERSPECTIVE

Author: Sufia Khanom

DOI Link: https://www.doi.org/10.56888/BIISSj2009v30n4a5

ABSTRACT

The paper argues that dependence on natural resources and socially constructed roles and responsibilities make rural women in Bangladesh more vulnerable than men to the impact of climate change. Therefore, rural women in Bangladesh are facing added adversity than men due to the consequences of climate change. Gender inequalities intersect with climate risks and vulnerabilities. Women suffer specific consequences of climate change such as huge burden of reproductive works, loss of livelihoods, victims of violence, discrimination towards girl children in regards to acquiring human capital and increase the number of female-headed households. Women’s historic disadvantageous position in terms of their limited access to resources, restricted rights and a muted voice in shaping the decisions makes them highly vulnerable to climate change. There are huge gaps in cooperation among international and national level policy frameworks on climate change from feminist point of view although gender issues are the center of sustainable development of international policy initiatives. The impact of climate change will likely to magnify existing patterns of gender inequality and worsen their already precarious situation, and leave them even more vulnerable. Therefore, more efforts should be made to give climate negotiations a gender centered approach, and to provide women their rightful place within sustainable development policy frameworks and bodies.