We may have to ditch patriarchy to solve the climate crisis

In my limited experience working with conservation, I have observed that a majority of those who are leading environmental conservation work and climate activism are women.

In all likelihood, this discrepancy is simply due to the fact that environmental damage and the climate crisis disproportionately affects women. An estimated 70 percent of those living in poverty are women, natural disasters kill more women (the male to female survival ratio for the 2004 tsunami was 3 to 1), and UN figures suggest that 80 percent of those displaced by climate change are women. The Paris Agreement in 2015 recognised this discrepancy and made specific provisions for empowerment of women.

This difference makes rational sense - women are more vulnerable so they are more vulnerable to climate change as well. Of course those who are in positions of power and can do something to put into effect policy and large scale mobilisation towards sustainability are disproportionately men.

In the context of real and present existential threats to humanity and the planet, these gender imbalances make no sense at all. And I can’t help but think that in addressing one issue we will have to address the other.