8th March, 2020 (Global) – As the Climate and Ecological Emergency (CEE) impact is increasingly felt around the world, women are particularly affected by harsh new realities. Existing structural flaws have a devastating impact on women around the world. As our sisters around the world unite to call for greater equality, on international women’s day, Extinction Rebellion (XR) sheds light on the struggle women are faced with, “especially among local communities and indigenous peoples,” as a 2019 UNFCCC report on Differentiated Impacts of Climate Change on Women and Men. At the same time, with 70% of the world's poor being women, climate ecological breakdown will have a disproportionate impact on females across the globe. This is especially true among the nations least responsible for climate change, but where they are more likely to be responsible for tasks such as gathering and producing food, collecting water and sourcing fuel, all of which are closely linked to environmental factors. As said tasks become increasingly grim and dangerous, women find themselves in perilous situations which can rapidly lead to rape and assault. It is a cold hard fact a rise in these violent incidents can be directly linked to the changing global climate.

With communities displaced by floods, fires and droughts, marginalized communities become even more so, women within them bearing the brunt of the hardships. “I think as the climate and ecological crisis bangs louder and louder on our doors, women's principal concern is family health. Rising temperatures means increased insect populations and thus infestations, making deadly diseases (i.e. malaria, dengue) an all year-round issue instead of only seasonal. Food and water scarcity brought about by a heightened dry season will not be helpful to any homemaker,” explains Elle speaking from XR Philippines.

While pervasive historical and existing inequalities and multidimensional social factors play an undeniable role, traditional gender assigned roles associated with biological sex aggravate women’s situation. These facts were highlighted by the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, in which differentiated impacts of climate change due to, among other factors, discrimination based on gender, class, ethnicity, age and (dis)ability are detailed. “The fingerprint of climate change is responsible for invisibly devastating the lives and livelihoods of millions of women in India, particularly those employed in agriculture. Shouldering a disproportionate amount of basic responsibilities, (food production, collecting water and sourcing fuel) women feel the effects of climate change more acutely than men – 80% of climate refugees are women,” said Thilaka from XR India.

Women around the world have restricted land rights, lack access to financial resources, education, technology and limited access to political decision making. Against this background, female activists are not freely accepted by wider communities, experiencing hostility or aggression as they raise the alarm on the CEE. Anette from XR Uganda highlights local research conducted by the Mary Robinson Foundation for Climate Justice, explaining how it “shows rising tensions between women and men resulting from climate change. Women, predominantly responsible for food and cash crops for income, are forced to prioritise one crop over another due as rain becomes unpredictable and infrequent. Stark choices force additional pressure on marginalized households leading to increasing tensions, carrying with it the very real and common risk of domestic violence.”

When food is limited due to a poor harvest, women prioritize feeding their children and male spouses and reduce their own intake, to the detriment of the whole family’s health and wellbeing. “Climate change’s impact on farming communities has forced men into economic migration leaving women to pick up the slack, along with their traditional roles. She effectively becomes mother, father, husband, wife and breadwinner until the husband’s return. Particularly marginalized, women are hard-hit by climate change, directly linked to rising number of female-led households. Despite this, women demonstrate resilience by using their talents to provide for their families," adds Avishka from XR Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile,  Extinction Rebellion DRCongo highlights one of the CEE’s most frightening specters: Climate Rape. In the Virunga region women are forced to venture deeper into parklands looking for scant firewood and food, once abundant, are increasingly exposed to becoming victims of violence and rape. This is the radical shift in climate over recent years has resulted in.”

In a bid to show solidarity with women and Women’s Day across the world, Extinction Rebellion rolled out a Women’s wave of actions in the UK, Colombia, Spain, Turkey, The Gambia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Uganda, DRC, Belgium, Israel, The Philippines and Argentina.

XR Nigeria hosted a day of community outreach and education with an all female panel discussion and workshops on sustainable food sources for female rural workers. While female rebels in the UK use the streets to form a chain in the centre of London highlighting the vulnerability of women around the world in the current climate crisis. “We may feel vulnerable when we pratice civil disobedience as police stare us down, but we can leave our situation and live to see another day, so many women around the world cannot” said Sarah in London. XR Uganda hosted a mass march of women and children and streamed images of solidarity actions happening from around the world. Perhaps the most poignant action came from women in the Democratic Republic of Congo where XR rebels joined with the women who had suffered sexual violence at the hands of local rangers. The group marched to the area where the rangers live and protested with a display of traditional songs and dance.

 All of the women of XR were bearing their heart and soul for a world united against the climate and ecological emergency. These actions aim to highlight the vulnerabilities of women everywhere in the face of climate and ecological breakdown. Frontline communities joined forces with citizens across the world to share their stories.

For further information please contact: press@organise.earth

About Extinction Rebellion 

Extinction Rebellion is a leaderfull, decentralised, international, nonpartisan network using non-violent direct action and civil disobedience to persuade governments to act justly on the Climate and Ecological Emergency.

We have the following three demands in most of our territories:

1. Tell the Truth: Government must tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency, working with other institutions to communicate the urgency for change.

2. Act Now: Government must act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.

3. Beyond Politics: Government must create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice.