Climate change is a public health crisis with deeply gendered impacts. Our new policy paper analyses the intersection of climate change, gender equality and healthcare, highlighting how existing inequalities are magnified for women and gender diverse people. It presents a comprehensive, intersectional and gender-responsive framework for understanding and addressing these challenges.
Women and gender diverse people are disproportionately affected by climate-related health impacts, including increased exposure to heat-related illnesses, food and water insecurity, mental health challenges, gender-based violence and disrupted access to sexual and reproductive healthcare. These impacts are exacerbated for priority populations such as First Nations women, women with disability, migrant and refugee women, rural and remote women and LGBTQIA+ communities.
It is essential to address the impacts of climate change on women’s health. This paper reflects our ongoing commitment to intersectional and gender-responsive approaches to health and prevention. It builds on previous work by Australian Women’s Health Alliance and supports the broader climate justice movement to streamline messaging and actions
Building on national strategies including the National Health and Climate Strategy and National Women’s Health Strategy 2020-2030, this paper:
- analyses the gendered health impacts of climate change, including through poverty, housing insecurity, chronic conditions and disaster response
- draws on conceptual frameworks to inform gender-responsive and intersectional approaches to climate and health policy
- aligns women’s health movements with climate justice movements to streamline messaging and promote shared outcomes
- provides practical recommendations for policy, research and practice, including to position Australia well in meeting international obligations
- imagines a sustainable gender-responsive health system that is resilient and adaptable to a changing climate.
The recommendations in our new policy paper mirror and align with those of national and international climate justice organisations. We acknowledge these hard-working organisations as we collectively move towards equitable futures.
The health of our planet and the health of women and gender diverse people are inseparable. Gender-responsive approaches are not only just, but they are also essential for building a climate-resilient health system that leaves no one behind.
Our new policy paper is a powerful tool for advocacy. We encourage you to read the paper, use it to inform your ongoing work and share it widely with your networks.
Women need to be included to lead the design and implementation of informed work and responses to climate change and its health impacts. This paper contributes to the field of climate change and health for all women and gender diverse people.
Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge funding support provided by the Australian Government through the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Health Peak Advisory Bodies Program.
We would like to thank key people who contributed to this publication, including Alliance members and supporters who reviewed this paper Kesaya Baba, WWF-Australia, Layla Humphreys, Climate and Health Alliance, Gender and Disaster Australia, Women’s Climate Congress, Pasanna Mutha-Merennege, Women’s Environmental Leadership Australia, Angelina Inthavong, our Policy Advisors Phoebe Nagorcka-Smith, Margherita Dall’Occo-Vaccaro and Mali Hermans, Senior Project Officer Sienna Aguilar and Copy Editor Bonnie Laxton-Blinkhorn. Graphic design supported by Ximena Jiménez.
