Women’s History Month is a time when we recognize and celebrate the countless achievements made by women, but it’s also a time when we must draw attention to problems too often overlooked and begin discussing constructive solutions.
One critical challenge that I’m struck by is how to tackle the disproportionate toll that environmental destruction - driven by climate change – takes on women. In the U.S. and abroad alike, women face unique and acute challenges in their environments. After the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the death rate for women soared upwards of three times greater than for men in some areas. After Hurricane Katrina, increased reports of sexual assault exacted low-income communities struggling to respond to severe disaster. Women account for more than 75 percent of climate-related displacement since 2010 — a staggering disparity driven by the fact that women own less than 2 percent of the land and make up over 70 percent of the world’s poor. When access to food, shelter, education, income, land, and healthcare are already limited, the effects of a natural disaster caused by a changing climate are devastating.
Unfortunately, our current political climate is exacerbating that problem. As the U.S. and other nations struggle to address environment and development challenges, we must recognize the role of women in shaping these solutions. From landmark environmental protections such as the Clean Power Plan, to civil liberty protections such as the Voting Rights Act, to basic rights like allowing women to control their bodies with Roe V. Wade, our Supreme Court has the final say on cases that shape every facet of our daily lives.
Just weeks ago, the Women’s March on Washington and sister marches across the country was a monumental display of resistance from millions of people, including Sierra Club members and supporters from coast to coast. Equally impressive were the number of people who asked “What can we do next?” Since the march, thousands of women have turned out to town halls, contacted their elected officials. This is the kind of energy we’ll need to stop the rollback of women’s rights and environmental protections.
This Women’s History Month, let’s make our own mark on history. Join me in committing to correct this disparity and to protect the legacy of those who have been fighting to protect women’s basic human rights. Climate change is here. It is happening, and it is affecting women at a greater rate than men. While our effort to limit carbon emissions and assist those impacted by climate change is no small task, no single action by President Trump is more consequential for women and the environment than the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the United States Supreme Court. Gorsuch’s record indicates that his presence on the Court would prove an obstacle to progress and could be integral in rolling back the victories of the last century for women, people of color, LGBTQ folks and more.
By each committing to lift our voices, we are a powerful chorus for change. Let us make our mark on history this month by fighting for fairness, justice and a democracy.