Unintended Consequences.

Climate change is a reality that is showing its ugly face now. Everyone is impacted, but not in the same ways. The consequences, and that too in a detrimental sense, of climate change are felt more amongst nations that contribute the least to global warming. Changing weather conditions pose a threat to resources in developing countries, and floods in Pakistan are a prime example of it in recent times. The elderly, handicapped, ethnic and gender minorities, as well as low-income populations are particularly vulnerable to the effects of environmental torpedo. In these situations, women feel the impact of climate change most severely. This adds to the already existing gender inequality.

Even though climate change is a worldwide occurrence, it has differing effects on men and women. Understanding how people adapt to and manage climate change requires an in-depth study at the grass-root level, with a focus on gender equality. While it is often believed that women are less likely to be affected by climate change than men due to their exclusive roles in home economics. The truth is contrary. Women have a greater burden than males in terms of managing limited resources, travelling large distances, and contracting water-borne infections. In locations that are already economically and ecologically unstable, women bear a disproportionate of the burden of the drudgery that comes with adaptation to climate change.

Presently, Pakistan has been hit by massive floods. Over 35 million people are affected according to the government's estimates, out of which 8 million are women of reproductive age. According to the United Nations Population Fund, 650,000 pregnant women mostly expected to deliver next month require maternal health services, care and support during this time of natural disaster. In Sindh alone, more than 1000 health facilities have been damaged. There is an immediate need to ensure women's safety, lifesaving services, provision of delivery kits and newborn care facility.

Moreover, women in Pakistan who live in the rural regions and along the shoreline where the impacts of climate change are felt most acutely must quickly adjust to these new conditions. Their quality of life, food and water availability, as well as natural resource depletion are key issues that impact their survival. The agricultural output is negatively impacted by excessive heat, shifting weather patterns and erratic rainfall. Women are hit worst because of their lack of...