WHAT ABOUT WOMEN? Vulnerable or vital?

With International Women’s Day on 8 March, this episode explores both the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and the critical role women play in driving climate action.

In this episode, James and Daisy discuss and celebrate women. How are women disproportionately affected by climate change? And why are they central to climate solutions?

SOME RECOMMENDATIONS:

• Women Leading on Climate (WLOC) – A global coalition of women leaders. Women are 2.5x more likely to demand government climate action, twice as likely to engage civically, and 60% more likely to use their voice for good.
• Project Drawdown – Makes the case for recognizing family planning and girls’ education as effective long-term climate adaptation strategies.
• Conciliation Resources (2024) – A workshop in Nigeria found women often show greater climate adaptability, partly due to exclusion from conventional inputs. Women farmers used manure fertiliser amid unpredictable weather, while men typically used harmful pesticides women cannot access.

OTHER ADVOCATES AND RESOURCES:

• International Women’s Day – 2026 theme: ‘Give To Gain’.
• UN – Women aged 25-34 are 25% more likely than men to live in extreme poverty.
• UN – Women make up the majority of the world’s poor, who are highly dependent on natural resources. Women and children are 14x more likely to die than men in climate disasters. In wealthier societies, women drive 70-80% of consumer purchasing decisions.
• UN (2025) – One study found a 28% rise in femicide during heatwaves.
• UN Women – Women carry out at least 2.5x more unpaid household and care work than men.
• UN Women (2025) – As of September 2025, 29 countries have women Heads of State and/or Government (32 women total).
• FAO (2023) – Women produce 60-80% of the food in most developing countries.
• EIB (2023) – Countries with more women in Parliament are more prone to ratify environmental treaties. Companies with more women on boards are more likely to improve energy efficiency, reduce firms’ overall environmental impact and invest in renewable energy. At COP26, men held 10 of 12 UK leadership roles.
• Earth Day (2025) – 62% of women are climate voters in the US (vs. 37% of men). “Greenness” is often linked with femininity. Women generally purchase eco-friendly products more frequently, consume less carbon, are more likely to recycle, minimize waste, and save more water and energy. In one study, women became more concerned climate impacts and more supportive of mitigation policies when asked to consider future generations; men experienced no such change.
• IRC (2023) – Climate change has been linked to a 39% surge in child marriage in Bangladesh. After disasters, 86% of girls face increased domestic workloads, affecting their studies.
• Hidden Connections – Documentary on climate change and child marriage in Bangladesh.
• LSE (2025) – Women’s food and transport carbon footprint are 26% lower than men’s in France.
• CEO Magazine (2023) – With 10 new female CEOs in the S&P 500 index, women finally outnumbered CEOs named John.
• Vegan Society (2025) – More women (3.60%) than men (1.89%) say they are vegan or have a plant-based diet.
• Financial Alliance for Women – Non-performing loans from women are 53% lower than from men.
• One Earth (2025) – The Paris Agreement and its guiding principle of 'net zero emissions' was shaped by women leaders (the "lionesses") including Farhana Yamin, Christiana Figueres, and Tessa Tennant.
• Cara Daggett (2018) – Introduced “petro-masculinity” to describe the hypermasculine mode of support for fossil fuels in rising authoritarian movements.
• McKinsey (2023) - Top-quartile companies for gender diversity were 39% more likely to financially outperform.

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Music: “Just Because Some Bad Wind Blows” by Nick Nuttall, Reptiphon Records. Available at https://nicknuttallmusic.bandcamp.com/album/just-because-some-bad-wind-blows-3

Producer: Podshop Studios

Huge thanks to Siobhán Foster, a vital member of the team offering design advice, critical review and organisation that we depend upon.

Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on navigating the transition away from fossil fuels to a sustainable future.