How Climate Change May Prevent Female Education

According to Article 26 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, “everyone has the right to education…[and it] shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedom.” We have almost reached global parity for primary education and are seeing a much higher enrollment of girls in secondary education than ever before. However, 31 million out of the 58 million children not enrolled in primary school are girls. Nearly two-thirds of the world’s 781 million illiterate adults are women. As of 2015, about 80 countries have stalled in progressing girls’ education. There are many barriers to girls’ education, but the conversation tends to be geared towards the cultural and political ones. But there is one barrier to girls’ education that most do not initially assume: climate change.

The “global annual average temperature (as measured over both land and oceans) has increased by more than 1.5°F (0.8°C) since 1880.” At first glance, this appears to be a minor change, but the possible effects of those 1.5 degrees are alarming: higher chances of frequent and intense droughts, storms, extreme heatwaves, and rising sea levels. Many cities worldwide are susceptible to full submersion within the next century, such as Miami. Countries such as Bahrain and Kuwait could be out of drinkable water by 2040 due to droughts and saltwater contaminating inland water sources.

Although the entire planet is experiencing climate change, some states are at a much higher risk: developing ones such as the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Haiti, Liberia, and South Sudan. Within these states, some populations are more exposed than others, specifically women and girls. Women tend to be charged with caring for their families, fetching water or food, and engaging in labor-intensive activities, making them the last to leave disaster situations. 

During extreme climate events, such as those exacerbated by climate change, women tend to spend more time performing laborious tasks than pursuing education, thus minimizing their ability to gain the skills and funds they need to reach their full potential. In some instances, girls could be forced to undergo early marriage because their dowries can help ease the burden of scarce household resources. If women in developing nations are already receiving less education than their male counterparts, then the changes in climate and the extreme conditions that could follow would only further this divide.

However, according to Christina Kwuak and Amanda Braga of the Brookings Institute, there are three ways to ensure women and girls get the education they need and the voice they deserve. First, we must promote girls’ reproductive rights to develop female capital and agency. Then, we must invest in girls’ education to foster climate participation and leadership. Lastly, we must teach girls the critical life skills necessary to survive and thrive in a changing world. These three platforms hope to establish lower fertility rates, female leadership and inclusion, and economic participation and empowerment, thus mitigating climate change.

Climate change is a complex and holistic issue that affects every aspect of life and every person. Therefore, investing in girls’ education is not only a moral obligation but a necessity to encourage participation from all people to create a more equitable and sustainable future.

Sources:

“Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” United Nations General Assembly, 10 December 1948, 

"School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI)." The World Bank. Accessed September 26, 2017. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.ENR.PRIM.FM.ZS?year_high_desc=false.

"The World's Women 2015." UN Statistics Division. Accessed September 26, 2017. https://unstats.un.org/unsd/gender/chapter3/chapter3.html.

King, Elizabeth, and Rebecca Winthrop. "Today’s challenges for girls’ education." Brookings. October 07, 2016. Accessed September 26, 2017. https://www.brookings.edu/research/todays-challenges-for-girls-education/

National Climate Assessment, nca2014.globalchange.gov/highlights/report-findings/our-changing-climate. 

Leader, Jessica. “14 U.S. Cities That Could Disappear Over The Next Century, Thanks To Global Warming.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 26 Aug. 2013, www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/26/global-warming-flooding_n_3799019.html.

“Water Stress by Country: 2040.” World Resources Insitute, www.wri.org/sites/default/files/uploads/water_stress_table_large.jpg.

 “Climate Change Vulnerability Index.” Relief Web, reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/verisk index.pdf . Originally derived from Verisk Maplecroft

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