How gender equality contributes to sustainability

An investment in women is an investment in the planet

Investing in women and girls is a key driver for climate action and a critical step in ensuring that no one is left behind. This according to the Street Business School, a global training initiative to end extreme poverty and empower African women as entrepreneurs.

Here are five ways, based on research from climate-solution focused Project Drawdown, that the Street Business School says gender equality can positively impact climate change and drive climate action:

Education equips girls and women to fight climate change

Girls who are better educated grow into women who earn more money, have more control over the trajectory of their lives and have fewer, healthier children who are more likely to be educated in turn. According to Project Drawdown, education increases resilience and equips girls and women to face the impact of climate change, while also enabling them to be more effective stewards of natural resources and have a greater capacity to cope with natural disasters and extreme weather events.

Reproductive rights have potential to reduce emissions

An estimated 214-million women globally would like to avoid pregnancy but lack access to birth control. By giving women agency over their reproductive rights and allowing them to decide how many children they want and when they want them, the global population could be reduced by a billion people over the next three decades, which in turn would cut carbon emissions by nearly 60 gigatons.

Girls and women are key to food sustainability

According to Project Drawdown, women make up 43% of the agricultural labour force and in developing countries produce 80% of food crops. Despite being as capable and efficient as men, women produce less on the same amount of land. The researchers postulate that if all women farmers have equal access to resources, their yields would rise by up to 30% and 150-million more people would have access to food. More yield from less land would also reduce the need for deforestation.

When women lead, climate solutions take centre stage

Climate change means tasks that traditionally fall on women, such as producing and gathering food and fuel and collecting water are more difficult. For this reason, women are often the most prominent and vocal advocates for climate action and sustainability. When women participate in conversations, the spotlight is more likely to fall on topics like climate change and human rights, with a greater emphasis on the needs of the people most affected by these issues.

Investing in women is investing in communities

According to research from the United Nations, working women invest more than 90% of their income back into their families and their communities, compared to just 35% for men. An investment in a woman is therefore much more than just an investment in a woman — it is an investment into developing communities and empowering generations going forward.