009-Apr 14, 2025
Gender, Climate, and the 30-Year Journey from Beijing:
🪷 Thematic Focus:
Gender Equality & Climate Change
Category: Environment, Society, Governance | GS Paper II & III
🌿 Opening Whisper
“When the climate changes, so do the burdens — but not equally. Her sweat, her silence, her soil… all bear the cost.”
🧭 Key Highlights
- Beijing Declaration at 30
- Adopted in 1995 by 189 countries, it remains the world’s most comprehensive framework for gender equality.
- Focused on 12 critical areas: economic rights, education, violence, politics, peace, and environment.
- India enacted laws like the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act inspired by its principles.
- Gender Gains and Gaps
- 1,583 laws globally address gender violence; shelters, legal aid, and police reforms have expanded.
- Yet, 736 million women have experienced violence; 10% live in extreme poverty; 113 countries have never had a woman Head of State.
- Digital abuse, unpaid care burden, and intersectional discrimination (age, caste, disability) deepen inequality.
- Climate Change and Women
- Rising temperatures = increased workload, food insecurity, anaemia, and domestic violence in rural India.
- Only 6% of global climate policies mention women; just 1% reference women in poverty.
- Women spend over 8 hours daily on unpaid care — a load worsened by water and fuel scarcities.
- Women as Climate Warriors
- Rural women steward biodiversity and practice resilient agriculture.
- Informal collectives, women’s SHGs, and disaster-response networks show that women lead in adaptation.
- Their involvement in eco-restoration and green innovation is critical — but often invisible in official plans.
- What Needs to Be Done
- Create a Gender-Responsive National Action Plan on Climate Change.
- Develop gender-tagged climate budgets and intersectional vulnerability data.
- Empower women via skilling, innovation hubs, and access to climate-resilient technologies.
- Promote women-led governance in disaster planning and eco-system restoration.
🎯 GS Mapping
| Paper | Theme | Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| GS II | Women Empowerment, Rights | Beijing Declaration, Domestic Violence Act |
| GS III | Climate Change & Environmental Governance | Gender-responsive climate policy |
| GS I | Society | Gender gaps, intersectionality, rural inequality |
🪞 A Thought Spark — by IAS Monk
“True resilience begins where her voice is heard, where her labour is seen, and where her wisdom is not merely quoted but acted upon. Gender equality is not a footnote in climate policy — it’s the root.”
🌸 Closing Whisper
“When the Earth cries, it’s her hands that first reach to heal — let us not ignore the healer.”
