Persistent women and environment linkages in climate change and sustainable development agendas

The article examines the persistence of the 'women-environment' linkage in global policy, noting that women are frequently framed as both primary victims of climate change and essential agents of change. It argues that this discourse persists because it provides a strategic entry point for feminist advocacy, relies on fixed projections of women's identities to gain political access, and is reinforced by the inertia of previous environmental project frameworks.

• Since the 1980s, global development policy and interventions have been influenced by a discourse suggesting women possess special knowledge of natural resource systems, are more closely tied to nature, and suffer most from environmental degradation.
• In current climate change debates, women are characterized as both victims and 'powerful agents of change' due to their perceived roles in identifying water supplies and leading early warning systems for affected communities.
• The persistence of women-environment linkages is attributed to three factors: the use of fixed and uniform female identities to enter climate politics, the use of climate vulnerability as a strategic tool for feminist advocacy, and the institutional inertia from previous environmental projects.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2013). Persistent women and environment linkages in climate change and sustainable development agendas. https://www.sei.org/publications/persistent-women-and-environment-linkages-in-climate-change-and-sustainable-development-agendas/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Persistent women and environment linkages in climate change and sustainable development agendas. 2013. https://www.sei.org/publications/persistent-women-and-environment-linkages-in-climate-change-and-sustainable-development-agendas/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Persistent women and environment linkages in climate change and sustainable development agendas |date=29 May 2013 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/persistent-women-and-environment-linkages-in-climate-change-and-sustainable-development-agendas/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2013persistent, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Persistent women and environment linkages in climate change and sustainable development agendas}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2013}, month = may, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/persistent-women-and-environment-linkages-in-climate-change-and-sustainable-development-agendas/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }