Gendered impacts of heat waves and drought in Asia and the Pacific: A review in the context of el niño

This policy brief examines the impacts of heat waves and drought on women’s food security, economic productivity, and care work, and highlights the alarming occurrence of gender-based and sexual violence during climate-induced challenges. It provides a set of proactive and gender-transformative recommendations for humanitarian and disaster risk reduction practitioners to improve preparedness efforts.

Recommendations from the publication include: 

•  Training women farmers in climate-smart agriculture and providing them with the necessary tools and technology has the potential to improve their resilience to heat waves and drought, as well as deliver potentially transformative results;
• Utilize existing gender analyses and partner with local women-led organizations, as well as disability and LGBTIQ+ organizations/community leaders, in the design of interventions;
• Support community early warning and ensure that early warning systems are gender transformative;
• Launch community-based awareness campaigns that actively  involve men and boys to challenge traditional gender norms that contribute to child marriage and harmful male coping mechanisms.