Pakistan being one of the top ten countries badly affected by the adverse impacts of climate change is facing recurrent natural calamities resulting from displacement and migration which will likely have a major impact of poverty on women and children during the climate crisis.
Being highly vulnerable population groups of the Pakistani society, women and children are particularly affected by the impacts, which unleash upon women and children disproportionately and with a greater frequency and intensity through heat- waves, droughts, floods, air pollution, food scarcity and the disease disasters, said Muhammad Saleem, media spokesperson and environmentalist of the ministry of climate change.
“It is because of these impacts that women and children are more likely to live in poverty than men, have less access to basic human rights like the ability to freely move and acquire land, and face systematic violence that escalates during periods of instability,” said Muhammad Saleem.
However, protecting these segments of the society from exacerbating the fallouts of the climate crisis was inevitable for their sustained contribution to the socio-economic development of the country, the ministry official stressed.
He further said that given the heightened vulnerability to the climate change impacts, the incumbent government has invested in the overall health and sustainability of the planet for the benefit of our children, women and all future generations with key focus on enhancing access of children and women to sustained access to clean drinking water, safe sanitation, education and health facilities.
The climate change ministry official remarked that as a part of gender equality vision of the government, women were particularly engaged in the clean and green Pakistan initiatives such as 10 Billion Tree Tsunami Programme, Green Stimulus Initiative, Billion Tree Honey Initiative, Recharge Pakistan Programme and Protected Areas Initiative, where women are at the center of focus as far as their involvement in these initiative is concerned.
“Climate change is a planetary phenomenon that will impact all countries, but its effects are being shaped by pervasive and entrenched gender inequality,” he said.
“Gender inequality hampers women’s capacity and potential to be actors of climate action. These gender inequalities, that also involve an access to and control over resources, access to education and information, and equal rights and access to decision-making processes, outline what women and men can do and cannot do in a particular context of climate change,” the climate change ministry official added. Given the backdrop, the Imran Khan-led incumbent government has involved women and children in all green initiatives being implemented across the country. So that, their environmentally-sustainable, green and resilient future is secured for them and future generations.
