Authors:
Parkinson D, Farrant BM, Duncan A.
Authors notes:
Clayton, Australia: CSIRO; 2015.
Keywords:
Climate change, post-disaster social structure, community disruption, familial disruption, vulnerable groups, disaster planning, disaster recovery, floods, bush fires, heatwaves, women, children
Abstract:
Climate change crises deepen inequalities and act as a threat multiplier.
Women's poverty and inequality, prescribed gender roles, violence against women, children and the role of women in planning for climate change and disaster management are all implicated in climate change crises impacts.
Internationally, mortality from disasters is higher for women and children.
In Australia, approximately 40% of deaths from bushfires are females, while heatwaves affect more women than men.
Women and children are vulnerable groups in society. Their fates are inextricably tied together through women's role as the primary caregiver to children. Climate change will disproportionally affect the physical and mental health of women and children especially during disasters such as floods, bushfires and heatwaves. The primary source of this disadvantage is the post-disaster social structure, including community and familial disruption and violence.
Men dominate in emergency management and in disaster planning and recovery, resulting in limited fender analysis of these processes.
Health and community professionals are in a unique position to alleviate human suffering from climate change.
A range of short and long term actions by health and community service organisations will mitigate the challenges of climate change currently disproportionately affecting women and children.