Climate Change a Challenge for Empowerment of Rural Women and Girls in the Pacific

Climate change is a challenge for empowering rural women and girls in the Pacific, says Hilda Heine, the President of the Republic of Marshall Islands, at the 62^nd Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

Heine said this is especially important considering the impact of climate change related disasters that disproportionately affect rural Pacific communities where rural women are doubly impacted. “They fare worse than rural men and urban women due to their unequal status and often isolated and fragile locations.” 

In the Pacific, Heine says rural women are active in agriculture, fisheries and tourism which are the key active sectors. She said 75 to 90 per cent of all market vendors in the Pacific region are women. The livelihoods of the women and their families sustain huge economic losses when a disaster hits. “Rural women are often disadvantaged by practices relating to access, ownership, inheritance and control over productive resources. Barriers include limited leadership and decision-making opportunities.” Giving a practical example, Heine said “in 10 Forum Island Countries we have seen only a 3 per cent increase over the last five years in women’s representation in local government. Other barriers include limited access to credit and finance economic opportunities, decent work and social protection, high prevalence of violence against women and strongly embedded social norms and attitudes in our societies.”

The Marshall Islands President said as such they welcomed the United Nations Secretary General’s report which recognizes that rural women are more affected by food and climate crisis, extreme weather events and gender base violence compared to the rest of the population.