Extreme weather events caused by an overheating planet might have a correlation with an increase in violence against women, according to a new analysis pointing to a higher rate of violence in countries that have experienced climate-induced extreme weather.
What's happening?
The United States is on pace to break last year's record for the number of billion-dollar weather disasters when the country experienced a total of 28 that had a combined price tag of at least $92.9 billion. Through Nov. 1, there have been 24 confirmed weather and climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion.
The U.S. wasn't the only country that experienced a high number of costly extreme weather events. There were a record 63 billion-dollar weather disasters worldwide last year.
A study found that these events are happening more often due in part to our warming world. Several scientists, per The Washington Post, suggest our overheating planet supercharges many forms of extreme weather, including droughts, wildfires, and hurricanes, with one of the reasons being that warmer temperatures lead to more moisture in the air. A new analysis says extreme weather events lead to higher rates of violence against women in the countries that experience them.
According to the United Nations, almost one in three women in the world has been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, nonpartner sexual violence, or both at least once in their lives. A new study by University College London shows a higher rate of violence against women occurs in countries that have experienced climate-induced extreme weather.
"Extreme weather events bring economic and security dynamics that disadvantage women and girls when it comes to their sexual and reproductive rights," said African Gender and Media Initiative Trust in Kenya executive director Gladys Kiio, per SciDev.Net.
Why is violence against women linked to extreme weather events important?
While correlation does not mean causation, researchers say the economic insecurity that results from extreme weather events might be behind the increase in violence that can show up as long as two years after the event occurred. Researchers noted immediate physiological effects from heat waves that could cause aggression and violence, while the impacts from storms and floods take longer to affect mental health and food security, which can contribute to those acts.
Extreme weather can cause myriad problems for women. A study published this spring warned that pregnant women and their babies face a number of risks when it comes to hotter temperatures.
What's being done about the violence?
There are a couple of ways countries can address the violence issue through their climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. These include the Nationally Determined Contributions, part of commitments countries made under the Paris Agreement aimed to reduce heat-trapping gas pollution and adapt climate resilience strategies.
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"We also need clear strategies for addressing climate change in existing programmes to reduce violence against women globally," Kiio said, per SciDev.Net. "For the moment, there is a lot of talk, but very little concrete action."
It is imperative that we reduce the amount of heat-trapping gases that are essentially putting our atmosphere on steroids and amplifying severe weather. Embracing renewable energy sources like solar and wind power while abandoning dirty energy sources is essential.
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