Many might wonder how climate change might impact women thinking that climate impacts everyone. Climate-related disasters have struck every region of the world this year. No country or region on earth is safe from the effects of our rapidly deteriorating climate, as evidenced by recent floods in Pakistan and Nigeria along with record-breaking droughts in the Horn of Africa and Iraq. It is undeniable that climate change indeed does impact everyone on earth, however it has an indirect impact on women that many might not realize.

From Al Jazeera's reporting around the globe, we know that climate change affects women and men differently. Women and girls are repeatedly pressured to leave school or enter into early marriage in order to help alleviate the financial strain on their families caused by natural disasters like droughts and floods.

As another example of how women are affected by global warming, think about how heat waves are getting worse due to climate change. Women who are expecting a child are at risk of having a baby with low birth weight, as are the women themselves. Due to droughts, some women need to travel further to find water.Climate change is also increasing gender-based violence and negatively impacting women's mental health, according to new research by ActionAid in Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, and Nigeria.

Nonetheless, we know that women's voices, especially those on the front lines, are not adequately heard in the grand halls and behind closed doors where the big decisions are made, including at the current COP27 climate change conference. In 2022, when the effects of climate change are expected to be at their worst and especially when  international support for women is at a historic low, this is cause for grave concern. Collective and individual action is required immediately; the question is, when will climate action become a priority for nations before it is too late to avert disastrous outcomes?

By: Baniz Wasman