Climate migration: A gendered perspective

Abstract

Climate change is being felt with increasing force and frequency, not only due to extreme weather events, but also due to the number of people who are forced to abandon their territories due to crucial humanitarian needs and protection gaps. However, pre-existing social, economic, and environmental vulnerabilities create a greater likelihood of being forced to move due to the impacts of climate change. Particularly important is this situation for women and girls who face intersectional and socio-structural discriminations, which shape their adaptation and resilience to climate impacts and, in the worst cases, conditions their migration processes. While migration induced by climate change has a very important gender component, it has not received enough attention. Neither statistical data nor legal frameworks adequately integrate and address climate migration from a gender perspective, which contributes to perpetuating vulnerabilities, invisibility and lack of protection. Therefore, this article addresses the international legal potentialities, developments, but also the limitations, to protect climate migrants from a gender sensitive and responsive perspective.