Evidencing the Gendered Dimensions of Climate Insecurity to Enhance Climate Change Adaptation

This policy brief examines the intersection of climate change, gender, and insecurity, arguing that extreme weather events exacerbate existing structural vulnerabilities and gender power dynamics, leading to increased gender-based violence (GBV). The author highlights significant knowledge gaps regarding causal links and the experiences of gender minorities, calling for more robust, sub-national data collection and the translation of international commitments, such as the UN Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, into practical, gender-sensitive disaster relief and adaptation policies.

• Climate change acts as a 'threat multiplier' that increases the risk of conflict and violence by worsening political tensions, grievances, and structural vulnerabilities. Gender inequality is a primary risk factor, as women and men have disparate access to the social, political, and economic resources necessary to manage climate hazards.
• There is evidence of an increase in gender-based violence (GBV) during and after extreme weather events. This trend is linked to factors such as food and water insecurity, mental stress, economic instability, disrupted infrastructure, and the specific labor roles women perform, such as water collection and farming.
• Current research on the climate-GBV nexus suffers from significant gaps, particularly a lack of robust quantitative studies and a failure to understand the specific vulnerabilities of sexual and gender minorities. Most high-quality evidence remains qualitative and relies on self-reported data.
• While global indices can identify high-risk countries, there is a need for scaled-up sub-national data collection to identify local adaptation pathways. USAID has already identified Somalia, Yemen, South Sudan, and Afghanistan as having the highest risk scores regarding the gender and climate-insecurity nexus.
• Governments are encouraged to move beyond 'paper' commitments to actual adaptive action. This includes utilizing the UN Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda and National Action Plans (NAPs) to implement gender-sensitive disaster relief, such as providing shelters and sanitation facilities designed exclusively for women, girls, and gender minorities.

APA

Koning, J. (2024). Evidencing the Gendered Dimensions of Climate Insecurity to Enhance Climate Change Adaptation. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/74e3f187-eed3-4175-9220-c08177ae563d/GPS Policy Brief 02-2024.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Koning, Jens. Evidencing the Gendered Dimensions of Climate Insecurity to Enhance Climate Change Adaptation. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2024. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/74e3f187-eed3-4175-9220-c08177ae563d/GPS Policy Brief 02-2024.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Koning |first1=Jens |title=Evidencing the Gendered Dimensions of Climate Insecurity to Enhance Climate Change Adaptation |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2024 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/74e3f187-eed3-4175-9220-c08177ae563d/GPS Policy Brief 02-2024.pdf?inline=true |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{koning2024evidencing, author = {Koning, Jens}, title = {{Evidencing the Gendered Dimensions of Climate Insecurity to Enhance Climate Change Adaptation}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2024}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/74e3f187-eed3-4175-9220-c08177ae563d/GPS Policy Brief 02-2024.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }