How empowering women and girls can help stop global warming | Katharine Wilkinson

Summary

The transcript highlights the interconnectedness of gender equity and climate change, emphasizing that empowering women and girls is crucial for environmental sustainability. It underscores the importance of women in agriculture, education, and family planning as key areas where gender equity can significantly reduce emissions. The speaker calls for collective action, recognizing the potential of women as agents of change and urging everyone to embrace their roles in addressing the climate crisis.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Global warming and the empowerment of women and girls are two significant, yet often overlooked, phenomena that are interconnected in addressing climate change.
• 🌱 'Project Drawdown' identifies 80 existing solutions to reduce climate-changing emissions, including renewable energy, green buildings, efficient transportation, and gender equity.
• 🔗 Gender equity is crucial for climate action as it enhances resilience and reduces emissions through three key areas: agriculture, education, and family planning.
• 👩‍🌾 Women are primary farmers in many lower-income countries, producing 60-80% of food, but face disparities in access to resources, which, if addressed, could significantly increase yields and reduce deforestation.
• 📚 Education is a powerful tool for women and girls, leading to better health, financial security, and the ability to navigate a climate-changing world, as well as contributing to lower emissions through smaller family sizes.
• 👶 Family planning and access to reproductive health care are vital for women's autonomy, dignity, and for reducing population growth, which in turn helps to decrease demand for resources and emissions.
• 🌳 Supporting women smallholders in agriculture can prevent substantial emissions, comparable to the impact of global household recycling, by increasing yields and reducing the need for deforestation.
• 🌐 The empowerment of women and girls is not just about addressing negative impacts but also about leveraging their vital voices and agency for change in the face of climate challenges.
• 💰 There is a significant disparity in the allocation of philanthropic funds towards women and the environment, highlighting the need for more equitable investment in these areas.
• 🌟 Women and girls are a fierce source of possibility and must be included in the development and implementation of climate solutions, as they are not just part of the problem but also part of the solution.
• 📣 The call to action is for everyone to act as messengers, spreading awareness about the importance of gender equity in addressing climate change and advocating for a more inclusive and effective approach.

Q & A

What are the two powerful phenomena unfolding on earth according to the transcript?

The two powerful phenomena are the rise of global warming and the rise of women and girls.

What is 'Project Drawdown' and what does it aim to achieve?

'Project Drawdown' is an effort that has identified 80 best practices and technologies already in hand to draw down heat-trapping, climate-changing emissions from the atmosphere.

How does gender equity relate to addressing global warming according to the speaker?

Gender equity is a key solution to the planetary challenge of global warming, as it can help secure rights, shore up resilience, and avert emissions simultaneously.

What is the primary link between women, girls, and a warming world in terms of impact?

The primary link is that climate impacts hit women and girls hardest due to existing vulnerabilities, leading to greater risks of displacement, injury, early marriage, and other challenges.

How does supporting women smallholders in agriculture contribute to climate change mitigation?

Supporting women smallholders can lead to higher yields, which in turn can help avoid deforestation and sustain forests, contributing to the reduction of emissions.

What is the estimated impact of addressing inequity in agriculture on emissions reduction by 2050?

Addressing inequity in agriculture could prevent two billion tons of emissions between now and 2050.

Why is education for girls important in the context of climate change?

Education for girls leads to better health, financial security, and agency, and can also result in lower emissions due to later marriages and smaller family sizes.

How does access to family planning contribute to climate change mitigation?

Access to family planning allows for children by choice rather than chance, which can lead to a reduction in population growth and, consequently, lower demand for resources and emissions.

What is the estimated impact of closing gaps in education and family planning on global population and emissions by mid-century?

Closing these gaps could result in one billion fewer people on earth by mid-century, potentially avoiding nearly 120 billion tons of emissions.

What role does the speaker ask the audience to play in addressing climate change?

The speaker asks the audience to play the role of messengers, spreading awareness, sharing solutions, and advocating for gender equity as a means to address climate change.

Why is it important to include women and girls in the conversation and solutions for climate change?

It is important because women and girls are vital voices and agents for change, and their inclusion ensures a more diverse and effective approach to solving the climate crisis.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Gender Equity and Climate Change

The first paragraph introduces the dual global phenomena of climate change and the empowerment of women and girls, asserting that gender equity is a critical solution to environmental challenges. The speaker discusses 'Project Drawdown,' which identifies 80 existing solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including renewable energy, green buildings, efficient transportation, and gender equity. The paragraph emphasizes the urgency of the climate crisis and the interconnectedness of all life on Earth, suggesting that a broken-open heart can drive regenerative action. It also highlights the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and girls due to existing vulnerabilities, such as increased risk of displacement and early marriage due to prolonged droughts.

05:01

🌱 Empowering Women in Agriculture and Education

The second paragraph delves into the role of women as primary farmers and the disparities they face in access to resources like land rights, credit, and technology. Despite these challenges, women can produce as efficiently as men, and closing the gender gap in agriculture could increase yields by 20 to 30 percent, reducing the need for deforestation and associated emissions. The speaker also addresses the importance of education for girls, which not only improves health and financial security but also contributes to lower emissions by influencing family size. The paragraph underscores the potential of gender equity in agriculture and education to prevent significant emissions and build resilience against climate change.

10:04

🌐 The Broader Impact of Gender Equity on Climate Solutions

The final paragraph broadens the discussion to include the systemic solutions that gender equity represents within the broader context of climate action. It emphasizes that population growth, production, and consumption are interconnected and that the most affluent bear the greatest responsibility for emissions. The speaker calls for the recognition of women as vital voices in climate solutions and criticizes the lack of investment in women and the environment. The paragraph concludes with a call to action for everyone to act as messengers, spreading awareness and advocating for gender equity as a fundamental part of addressing climate change, highlighting the collective power of all beings to seize the opportunity for change.

Keywords

💡Global Warming

Global warming refers to the long-term increase in Earth's average surface temperature due primarily to human activities such as the emission of greenhouse gases. In the video, it is identified as one of the two powerful phenomena unfolding on Earth, highlighting its urgency and severity as a planetary challenge.

💡Gender Equity

Gender equity is the concept of fairness and impartiality for all genders, striving to eliminate discrimination and bias. The video emphasizes that gender equity is a key solution to the planetary challenge of climate change, as it is intrinsically linked to the rise of women and girls and their empowerment.

💡Project Drawdown

Project Drawdown is an initiative mentioned in the video that has identified, researched, and modeled 80 existing solutions to climate change that can reduce greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere. It serves as a central theme for the speaker's work and the discussion on actionable solutions.

💡Smallholder Farmers

Smallholder farmers are individuals who farm small plots of land, often less than five acres, and are primarily found in lower-income countries. The video points out that women smallholders, despite facing disparities in resource access, are crucial to increasing food production and reducing deforestation.

💡Deforestation

Deforestation is the process of clearing forests to make way for agricultural land, which results in the release of carbon dioxide and contributes to climate change. The script discusses how supporting women smallholders can lead to higher yields and potentially reduce the need for deforestation.

💡Education

Education in the context of the video refers to the vital right of girls to attend school, which is linked to better health, financial security, and societal agency. The speaker argues that education can indirectly contribute to lower emissions by influencing family size and societal choices.

💡Family Planning

Family planning is the practice of enabling individuals to decide the number and spacing of their children through access to reproductive health care. The video emphasizes its importance in achieving gender equity and its potential to reduce population growth and associated emissions.

💡Emissions

Emissions, specifically greenhouse gas emissions, are the release of gases into the atmosphere that trap heat and contribute to global warming. The video discusses various ways in which gender equity can help reduce emissions, such as through supporting women in agriculture and education.

💡Climate Resilience

Climate resilience refers to the ability of communities and systems to withstand, adapt, and recover from climate change effects. The script highlights that gender equity, particularly in agriculture, can enhance resilience by improving food security and production.

💡Vulnerabilities

Vulnerabilities, in the context of the video, are the predispositions that make certain groups, such as women and girls, more susceptible to the adverse effects of climate change. The speaker discusses how climate impacts, such as displacement and natural disasters, disproportionately affect women due to existing vulnerabilities.

💡Life Force

The term 'life force' is used metaphorically in the video to describe the inherent power and potential within individuals and communities to drive change and regeneration. It is particularly applied to women and girls as agents of change in addressing climate change and promoting gender equity.

Highlights

The rise of global warming and the rise of women and girls are two powerful but often overlooked phenomena on earth.

Gender equity is identified as a key solution to the planetary challenge of climate change.

Project Drawdown is an initiative that has identified 80 best practices and technologies to reduce climate-changing emissions.

Gender and climate are inextricably linked, with gender equity being essential for drawing down emissions.

The urgency of the climate crisis is unprecedented, requiring an adequate response that has yet to be achieved.

The interconnectedness of the planet's living systems is emphasized, highlighting the need for a better way of being.

A broken-open heart is described as a catalyst for action, regeneration, and healing in the face of ecological grief.

The primary link between women, girls, and climate change is often negative, with women and girls facing greater risks from climate impacts.

Gender equity in agriculture can lead to higher yields and help avoid deforestation, contributing to emission reduction.

Women smallholders, despite having less access to resources, are capable and efficient farmers.

Education is a vital foundation for girls, impacting health, financial security, and their ability to navigate a climate-changing world.

Access to education and family planning can lead to lower emissions by influencing reproductive choices and population growth.

Gender equity in agriculture, education, and family planning is part of a system of solutions to address climate change.

The affluent have a greater responsibility in addressing climate change due to their higher impact on the environment.

Women are vital voices and agents for change, yet they are often missing from decision-making processes.

Only a small fraction of philanthropic funds are directed towards initiatives involving women and the environment.

The call to action emphasizes the need for a diverse and inclusive approach to solving the climate crisis.

The role of messenger is highlighted, urging individuals to share solutions and speak truth about the climate crisis.

The speech concludes with a call for bold action, recognizing the collective responsibility and potential of all beings on earth.

Transcripts

There are two powerful phenomena unfolding on earth:

the rise of global warming

and the rise of women and girls.

The link between them is often overlooked,

but gender equity is a key answer to our planetary challenge.

Let me explain.

For the last few years,

I have been working on an effort called "Project Drawdown."

Our team has scoured humanity's wisdom

for solutions to draw down heat-trapping, climate-changing emissions

in the atmosphere --

not "someday, maybe, if we're lucky" solutions,

the 80 best practices and technologies

already in hand:

clean, renewable energy, including solar and wind;

green buildings, both new and retrofitted;

efficient transportation from Brazil to China;

thriving ecosystems through protection and restoration;

reducing waste and reclaiming its value;

growing food in good ways that regenerates soil;

shifting diets to less meat, more plants;

and equity for women and girls.

Gender and climate are inextricably linked.

Drawing down emissions depends on rising up.

First, a bit of context.

We are in a situation of urgency, severity and scope

never before faced by humankind.

So far, our response isn't anywhere close to adequate.

But you already know that.

You know it in your gut,

in your bones.

We are each part of the planet's living systems,

knitted together with almost 7.7 billion human beings

and 1.8 million known species.

We can feel the connections between us.

We can feel the brokenness

and the closing window to heal it.

This earth, our home,

is telling us that a better way of being must emerge, and fast.

In my experience, to have eyes wide open

is to hold a broken heart every day.

It's a grief that I rarely speak,

though my work calls on the power of voice.

I remind myself that the heart can simply break, or it can break open.

A broken-open heart is awake and alive and calls for action.

It is regenerative, like nature,

reclaiming ruined ground, growing anew.

Life moves inexorably toward more life,

toward healing,

toward wholeness.

That's a fundamental ecological truth.

And we, all of us,

we are life force.

On the face of it, the primary link between women, girls and a warming world

is not life but death.

Awareness is growing that climate impacts hit women and girls hardest,

given existing vulnerabilities.

There is greater risk of displacement,

higher odds of being injured or killed during a natural disaster.

Prolonged drought can precipitate early marriage

as families contend with scarcity.

Floods can force last-resort prostitution

as women struggle to make ends meet.

The list goes on and goes wide.

These dynamics are most acute under conditions of poverty,

from New Orleans to Nairobi.

Too often, the story ends here.

But not today.

Another empowering truth begs to be seen.

If we gain ground on gender equity,

we also gain ground on addressing global warming.

This connection comes to light in three key areas,

three areas where we can secure the rights of women and girls,

shore up resilience

and avert emissions at the same time.

Women are the primary farmers of the world.

They produce 60 to 80 percent of food in lower-income countries,

often operating on fewer than five acres.

That's what the term "smallholder" means.

Compared with men, women smallholders have less access to resources,

including land rights,

credit and capital, training,

tools and technology.

They farm as capably and efficiently as men,

but this well-documented disparity in resources and rights

means women produce less food on the same amount of land.

Close those gaps,

and farm yields rise by 20 to 30 percent.

That means 20 to 30 percent more food from the same garden or the same field.

The implications for hunger, for health, for household income --

they're obvious.

Let's follow the thread to climate.

We humans need land to grow food.

Unfortunately, forests are often cleared to supply it,

and that causes emissions from deforestation.

But if existing farms produce enough food,

forests are less likely to be lost.

So there's a ripple effect.

Support women smallholders,

realize higher yields,

avoid deforestation

and sustain the life-giving power of forests.

Project Drawdown estimates that addressing inequity in agriculture

could prevent two billion tons of emissions between now and 2050.

That's on par with the impact household recycling can have globally.

Addressing this inequity can also help women cope

with the challenges of growing food

as the climate changes.

There is life force in cultivation.

At last count,

130 million girls are still denied their basic right to attend school.

Gaps are greatest in secondary school classrooms.

Too many girls are missing a vital foundation for life.

Education means better health for women and their children,

better financial security,

greater agency at home and in society,

more capacity to navigate a climate-changing world.

Education can mean options, adaptability, strength.

It can also mean lower emissions.

For a variety of reasons,

when we have more years of education,

we typically choose to marry later

and to have fewer children.

So our families end up being smaller.

What happens at the individual level adds up across the world and over time.

One by one by one,

the right to go to school impacts how many human beings live on this planet

and impacts its living systems.

That's not why girls should be educated.

It's one meaningful outcome.

Education is one side of a coin.

The other is family planning:

access to high-quality, voluntary reproductive health care.

To have children by choice rather than chance

is a matter of autonomy and dignity.

Yet in the US,

45 percent of pregnancies are unintended.

Two hundred and fourteen million women in lower-income countries

say they want to decide whether and when to become pregnant

but aren't using contraception.

Listening to women's needs,

addressing those needs,

advancing equity and well-being:

those must be the aims of family planning, period.

Curbing the growth of our human population

is a side effect, though a potent one.

It could dramatically reduce demand for food, transportation, electricity,

buildings, goods and all the rest,

thereby reducing emissions.

Close the gaps on access to education and family planning,

and by mid-century, we may find one billion fewer people inhabiting earth

than we would if we do nothing more.

According to Project Drawdown,

one billion fewer people could mean we avoid

nearly 120 billion tons of emissions.

At that level of impact,

gender equity is a top solution to restore a climate fit for life.

At that level of impact,

gender equity is on par with wind turbines

and solar panels and forests.

There is life force in learning

and life force in choice.

Now, let me be clear:

this does not mean women and girls are responsible for fixing everything.

(Laughter)

Though we probably will.

(Laughter)

(Applause)

Equity for women in agriculture, education and family planning:

these are solutions within a system of drawdown solutions.

Together, they comprise a blueprint of possibility.

And let me be even clearer about this:

population cannot be seen in isolation from production or consumption.

Some segments of the human family cause exponentially greater harm,

while others suffer outsized injustice.

The most affluent --

we are the most accountable.

We have the most to do.

The gender-climate connection extends beyond negative impacts

and beyond powerful solutions.

Women are vital voices and agents for change on this planet,

and yet we're too often missing or even barred from the proverbial table.

We're too often ignored or silenced when we speak.

We are too often passed over

when plans are laid or investments made.

According to one analysis,

just 0.2 percent of philanthropic funds

go specifically towards women and the environment,

merely 110 million dollars globally,

the sum spent by one man on a single Basquiat painting last year.

These dynamics are not only unjust, they are setting us up for failure.

To rapidly, radically reshape society,

we need every solution and every solver,

every mind,

every bit of heart,

every set of hands.

We often crave a simple call to action,

but this challenge demands more than a fact sheet

and more than a checklist.

We need to function more like an ecosystem,

finding strength in our diversity.

You know what your superpowers are.

You're an educator, farmer, healer, creator, campaigner, wisdom-keeper.

How might you link arms where you are

to move solutions forward?

There is one role I want to ask that all of you play:

the role of messenger.

This is a time of great awakening.

We need to break the silence around the condition of our planet;

move beyond manufactured debates about climate science;

share solutions;

speak truth with a broken-open heart;

teach that to address climate change, we must make gender equity a reality.

And in the face of a seemingly impossible challenge,

women and girls are a fierce source of possibility.

It is a magnificent thing to be alive

in a moment that matters so much.

This earth,

our home,

is calling for us to be bold,

reminding us we are all in this together --

women, men,

people of all gender identities,

all beings.

We are life force,

one earth,

one chance.

Let's seize it.

Thank you.

(Applause)