Policy Brief – SRHR and Climate Change

Internal Resource

09/11/2021 12:00 pm

BALSDA

Share-Net Digital Platform

This Policy Brief was developed by the Balanced Stewardship Development Association (BALSDA) in collaboration with Earthspring International and Society for Women and Girl- Child Empowerment (SWOGE). Thanks to the financial contributions from a Share-Net International Grant

Gaining attention from Hon Minister for Environment, who was represented by Dr. Aliyu Yauri, a Director in the Department of Climate Change in the Ministry during the dissemination seminar, and has agreed to review NAP (National Action Plan) documents and policies to include SRHR. This policy brief has received further national coverage in Nigerian Media in the articles ‘COP26: theres need to include SRHR in Climate Change Plans’ published  by Nigeria’s media platform Legit, and the official National Broadcasting house of Nigeria – Voice of Nigeria – featured the policy brief in the article ‘Group Calls for Inclusion of Reproductive Health in Climate Change’.

Overview

“Climate change, the unprecedented warming of the earth from human activity, coupled with an increase in unpredictable and extreme natural disasters, is one of the greatest challenges the world faces today. Climate change will have consequences for all of humanity, some groups such as women, children, ethnic minorities and poor communities in developing countries are more vulnerable to the negative effects of this crisis. For example, after the devastation of hurricane Katrina in the USA, it was found that the majority of those unable to evacuate were African American women and their children who also coincidentally are one of the poorest demographic groups in that region.

Gender inequality has been identified as a catalyst for women’s vulnerability to climate change (ARROW, 2014). In combination with other factors, it impedes the ability of women to adapt to the climate crisis and this has consequences for their sexual and reproductive health and rights. Likewise, climate change exacerbates pre-existing issues in relation to women and their SRHR needs such as access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, forced marriage and pregnancy and gender-based violence.”

Read the full policy brief here: Climate Change and SRHR Policy Brief