Climate change impacts women more. We must legislate to protect their health

The author asserts that climate change disproportionately affects women's health and socio-economic stability, noting that while COP28 formally added health to the climate agenda, women's specific needs remain under-addressed. The text cites risks including increased poverty, food insecurity, and maternal health complications, while calling for the inclusion of reproductive health in climate policies.

• Climate change disproportionately impacts women's health and socio-economic status, with UN Women projecting that by 2050, climate change could push up to 158 million more women and girls into poverty and leave 232 million facing food insecurity.
• Women and girls are overrepresented among those displaced by climate change, comprising 80% of displaced people, which increases their vulnerability to violence, poverty, and unintended pregnancies.
• Rising temperatures and air pollution are linked to adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes, including preterm birth, low birth weight, gestational diabetes, and prenatal maternal stress.
• The COP28 UAE Declaration on Climate and Health, signed by over 120 countries, formally placed health on the climate agenda, though the author notes it does not specifically address the disproportionate impacts on women.
• The author advocates for the inclusion of women's reproductive health in national climate plans and disaster relief, citing a family planning pilot program in Colombia as an example of addressing reproductive health during a crisis.

APA

Berninger, M. (2024). Climate change impacts women more. We must legislate to protect their health. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/women-health-climate-change/

Chicago

Berninger, Matthias. Climate change impacts women more. We must legislate to protect their health. World Economic Forum, 2024. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/women-health-climate-change/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Berninger |first1=Matthias |title=Climate change impacts women more. We must legislate to protect their health |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=16 January 2024 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/women-health-climate-change/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{berninger2024climate, author = {Berninger, Matthias}, title = {{Climate change impacts women more. We must legislate to protect their health}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2024}, month = jan, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/women-health-climate-change/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }