HOW CLIMATE CHANGE INFLUENCES FGM TRENDS

Climate change is a global crisis with far-reaching social, economic, and environmental consequences. While its impact on ecosystems and livelihoods is widely recognized, its disproportionate effects on women and girls often go unaddressed, particularly in relation to harmful practices such as FGM. This article explores how climate change influences trends in FGM, exacerbating vulnerabilities and shaping decision-making processes within affected communities.

Climate Change as a Driver of Vulnerability

Women and girls are disproportionately affected by climate change due to pre-existing gender inequalities. Limited access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities heightens their vulnerability to harmful practices, including FGM. When climate shocks disrupt essential services, access to sexual and reproductive healthcare diminishes, reducing intervention opportunities and increasing the risk of FGM-related complications.

Extreme weather events such as rising temperatures, droughts, floods, and cyclones pose significant risks to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). These conditions are linked to adverse maternal and newborn health outcomes, including low birth weight, pregnancy complications, stillbirths, and maternal and infant mortality. Climate change also exacerbates gender-based violence (GBV), increases HIV prevalence, and fuels harmful practices such as FGM and child marriage.

Consequences of Climate Change on Gender-Based Violence Worldwide

The intersection of climate change and gender-based violence has been documented in several regions:

• Domestic violence spiked in Australia after the 2009 bushfires.
• In Malawi, 1.5 million girls face an increased risk of child marriage due to climate-induced poverty.
• In Uganda, droughts have fueled rising rates of GBV and FGM.
• In Myanmar, Cyclone Nargis forced many women into sex work as a survival strategy.
• In Indonesia, climate-impacted farming has led to migration, increasing trafficking risks.
• Climate change is projected to result in 11.6–16 million more HIV cases in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2050.

Climate Change and FGM

Prolonged droughts, floods, and extreme weather conditions contribute to economic instability, food insecurity, and displacement. These challenges disproportionately affect low-income and rural communities, where traditional coping mechanisms—including harmful practices like FGM—may become more prevalent.

Research shows that climate-induced economic hardship can push families to resort to FGM as a perceived strategy for securing a daughter’s future. In some regions, girls who have undergone FGM are considered more marriageable, ensuring dowry payments that can provide economic relief to struggling households. Additionally, displacement due to climate disasters disrupts social structures, sometimes reinforcing traditional norms as communities seek to preserve cultural identity in times of uncertainty.

Addressing the Issue: The Way Forward

Climate change is not just an environmental crisis—it is a human rights issue. As climate-related vulnerabilities increase, it is essential to acknowledge and address their impact on gender-based violence and harmful practices like FGM. Future responses must incorporate gender-sensitive climate adaptation strategies, invest in education and economic empowerment, and strengthen legal frameworks to protect at-risk communities. Recognizing these intersections is key to ensuring that efforts to combat climate change also contribute to the eradication of FGM.