At the Eye of the Storm: Women and Climate Change

Jul 26, 2016 | Aimee Jakeman
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Struggling to save their failing crops. Walking farther afield to fetch clean water. Protecting their families from devastating storms and violent conflicts. “Women are usually the support systems for our family…we are the last to leave in the event of a catastrophe, which is why women and families are disproportionately hurt by climate catastrophes,” said Wilson Center President, Director, and CEO Jane Harman on June 23 during a conference on women and climate change.

But empowering women through education, economic opportunities, and reproductive health care can also make powerful contributions to climate resilience. “Who should be the leaders in the climate change policy debate? I would say women,” said Harman. “I think we have the best experience and adequate training in every respect to lead on the climate change arguments.”

Climate change is a “threat multiplier,” said Sherri Goodman, a public policy fellow at the Wilson Center and former deputy undersecretary of defense for environmental security, and “resilience…is the answer to addressing the climate challenge.”