Traditional Climate Policies Fail to address Structural Gender Inequalities: Study

By: WE Staff | Saturday, 24 May 2025

• A study published in the Journal of Human Rights & Social Works suggests Gender gender-transformative Climate Framework
• The paper suggests interventions in feminist contexts of the Global South addressing Gender Inequalities

A study published in the Journal of Human Rights and Social Work introduces a gender-transformative climate framework, integrating feminist theory, climate justice, and on-ground research. The paper, titled 'Urgent Imperatives: Advancing Gender Equality in Climate Action', calls for a radical shift in climate change policy and action, focusing on the leadership and experiences of women, particularly those from marginalized communities in the Global South.

The paper, authored by Neha Saigal, Director of gender and Climate Change, and Saumya Srivastava, Program and Research Lead with the Gender and Climate Change team at Asar Social Impact Advisors, a startup in the social and environmental impact space in India, critiques traditional climate policies for being Western, masculine, and technocratic and failing to address the structural gender inequalities exacerbating climate vulnerability.

The paper suggests interventions in feminist contexts of the Global South to address gender inequalities and climate vulnerability, highlighting five key strategies:

• Building feminist leadership to amplify marginalized voices.
• Expanding social protection to safeguard women from climate-induced economic shocks.
• Supporting women-led cooperatives to enhance resilience and financial independence.
• Amplifying regional-language climate media to ensure inclusivity.
• Aligning with government schemes for systematic change.

The authors noted, "The mainstream discourse on climate change is western and masculine, dominated by natural sciences and technical fixes. It is deeply shaped by colonialism, patriarchy, and neoliberal development models. Climate change is a political problem rooted in unequal power and oppressive social norms."

The paper highlights the crucial role of women's cooperatives and SHGs in providing livelihoods, access to basic amenities, and government services. These organizations act as safety nets for women, especially during climate adversities. They provide kinship, agency, economic independence, and safety, building women's resilience. The gender-transformative climate framework calls for a centralization of gender in climate policy, linking gender inequity to climate vulnerability.