The green economy mustn't forget gender

The statement asserts that environmental degradation and climate change amplify existing gender inequalities due to unequal power relations. It highlights that women produce over half the world's food but own less than 15% of the land, and that their unpaid care work, valued at over $10.8 trillion annually, remains systematically undervalued. The author calls for a 'gender just transition' that moves beyond technical solutions like renewable energy to include the revaluation of the care economy, social protection, and the elimination of intersecting discriminations based on race, class, and gender.

• The current global economic system is described as extractive, patriarchal, racist, and colonial, driving wealth accumulation for a small minority while women's labour is undervalued and exploited.
• Women's unpaid care and domestic work is essential for societal and economic functioning, with a global estimated value exceeding $10.8 trillion per year, which is three times the size of the global tech industry.
• Environmental and climate crises disproportionately affect women, particularly those in the global south, rural, and indigenous women, by increasing care burdens and violence. While women produce more than 50% of the world's food, they own less than 15% of the land.
• A 'gender just transition' must go beyond the deployment of renewable technologies to include the revaluation of nurturing work, investment in the care economy, and the provision of decent work and social protection for all.

APA

McLean, C. (2020). The green economy mustn't forget gender. Green Economy Coalition. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/news-and-resources/the-green-economy-mustnt-forget-gender

Chicago

McLean, Catriona. The green economy mustn't forget gender. Green Economy Coalition, 2020. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/news-and-resources/the-green-economy-mustnt-forget-gender.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=McLean |first1=Catriona |title=The green economy mustn't forget gender |publisher=Green Economy Coalition |date=8 March 2020 |url=https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/news-and-resources/the-green-economy-mustnt-forget-gender |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{mclean2020green, author = {McLean, Catriona}, title = {{The green economy mustn't forget gender}}, publisher = {Green Economy Coalition}, year = {2020}, month = mar, url = {https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/news-and-resources/the-green-economy-mustnt-forget-gender}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }