Introduction and About the UN Spotlight Initiative

  • The UN Spotlight Initiative is a multi-year partnership between the European Union and the United Nations.
  • It is aimed at eliminating all forms of violence towards women and girls.
  • The initiative recently revealed in a report that climate change is amplifying gender-based violence, particularly within impoverished and vulnerable communities.

 

UN Report Findings on Climate-Induced GBV

  • Climate change indirectly contributes to an increase in GBV, particularly intimate partner violence.
  • The report states that a single-degree Celsius increase in temperature could lead to a 4.7% rise in intimate partner violence.
  • Such violence is anticipated to affect 40 million more women and girls annually by 2090 if global warming reaches 2°C.
  • Continuous climate disasters have also increased GBV, leading to an escalation of forced child marriage, trafficking, and sexual exploitation, particularly after incidences of flooding, drought, and displacement.
  • The groups at the highest risk of GBV include poor women, inhabitants of informal settlements, women engaged in agriculture, indigenous communities, women with disabilities, the elderly, and LGBTQ+ individuals.

 

The Shadow Pandemic of GBV and the Funding Gap

  • GBV is described by the report as a "shadow pandemic." It is estimated that one in three women globally have experienced some form of abuse with only 7% of survivors reporting such incidents.
  • There persists a significant gap in climate-related development funding with a focus on gender equality, indicating a systemic failure in addressing GBV through climate action initiatives.

 

Recommendations of the UN Report for Addressing Climate-Gender Violence

  • A primary recommendation is to mainstream GBV prevention into all climate policies and programmes at all levels- local, national, and global.
  • Climate solutions should prioritise women's safety and leadership.
  • GBV must be recognized and addressed as a hindrance to climate resilience and sustainable development efforts.
  • Support must be extended to civil society organisations and women's movements to ensure gender justice is central to global climate platforms.
  • International best practices must be adopted, including implementation of gender-responsive programmes linking climate resilience with gender justice.