Chapter 17: Gender Equity and Politics for the Enhancement of Environmental Sustainability: Empowerment of Women for the Fight Against Climate Change

The world economy has developed significantly causing increase in greenhouse gases emissions level resulting in the global warming and related natural disasters. Women are more vulnerable to these disasters and global warming compared to men especially with respect to mortality rate and increase in the workload. For example, especially in developing countries women’s workload increased due to the global warming and water scarcity, as they spend more time to carry water to their homes as they get water from longer distances. This example reveals opportunity cost of climate change for females as their increased workload can obstacle their education affecting their entire life and their contribution to their countries’ sustainable development. Women are underrepresented in the workforce and politics all over the world. This situation prevents humanity to get benefit from their potential in and contribution to the climate change fight. Women encouragement in economics and political life can support their participation in the climate change fight. Empowerment of women and enabling them to take more active role in decision-making process especially in the climate change fight can contribute to mitigate the climate change’s effects and support sustainable growth. Based on literature review, this chapter aims to investigate women’s role in the climate change fight and ways for empowering women to mitigate climate change’s adverse consequences. This chapter is expected to be beneficial to politicians, academics, and economists as well as to all stakeholders of nature.