Feminism and Climate Change

Already among the most vulnerable populations worldwide, women and other marginalized groups have been the most acutely affected by the instabilities produced by climate change. Issues such as water scarcity, drought, and other environmental problems threaten the world's food supply, making it more difficult for disadvantaged groups to obtain the basic necessities of life. Increased temperatures and more intense weather patterns raise the likelihood of illness and disease, especially among the poor. Diminishing resources, known to increase conflict and war, are leading to greater numbers of "climate refugees" and displaced people. In all of these situations, women are disproportionately affected by the dangers that climate change poses to our world. At the same time, women and people of color have been at the forefront of many movements for environmental justice, incorporating analysis of race, class, and gender that governments and mainstream environmental policy have ignored or failed to recognize. Looking at these issues in a wide variety of contexts, we bring together a group of panelists to explore how global climate change poses not just a disproportionate threat to some, but also how scholars and activists are responding. How does social exploitation parallel environmental exploitation in regional and global contexts, and how can an analysis of gender and race help build an effective response? How can the diverse groups that are affected find common ground? What are the challenges and complexities of working within multiple movements, including those for environmental, racial, and gender justice? These questions and many others are the focus of this year's Scholar and Feminist Conference on Feminism and Climate Change.