A planetary health blind spot: the untapped potential of women to safeguard nature and human resilience in LMICs

Paula, Nicole de; Jung, Laura; Mar, Kathleen A.; Bowen, Kathryn; Maglakelidze, Mariam; Fünderich, Meike; Otieno, Melvine Anyango; Omrani, Omnia El; Baunach, Sabine; Gepp, Sophie

doi:10.1016/s2542-5196(21)00007-3

Cited by 14 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Women's voices are often missing from climate change mitigation and adaptation discussions and policy decision-making processes ( 9 ), a critical gap recognized by the international community ( 8 ). Alternatively, women are portrayed as passive victims of climate change processes beyond their awareness or control ( 10 ), further exacerbating gender inequalities in the impact of climate change and excluding this group capable of acting as powerful environmental protectors ( 11 ). Although the Gambian government has made firm and far-reaching commitments to ensure the country is on track to meet the Paris Climate Accords, a recent interim report evaluating the impact of the UN environment programme project found that there was a general failure to include women into decision making roles, despite this being a stated aim ( 8 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Challenges of Working in the Heat Whilst Pregnant: Insights From Gambian Women Farmers in the Face of Climate Change

Spencer

Samateh

Wabnitz

et al. 2022

Front. Public Health

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BackgroundThe expected increase in heat in The Gambia is one of the most significant health threats caused by climate change. However, little is known about the gendered dynamics of exposure and response to heat stress, including women's perceived health risks, their adaptation strategies to heat, and their perceptions of climate change. This research project aims to answer the question of whether and how pregnant farmers in The Gambia perceive and act upon occupational heat stress and its health impacts on both themselves and their unborn children, against the backdrop of current and expected climatic changes.MethodIn-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 women who practice subsistence farming and were either pregnant or had delivered within the past month in West Kiang, The Gambia. Participants were selected using purposive sampling. Translated interview transcripts were coded and qualitative thematic content analysis with an intersectional lens was used to arrive at the results.ResultsAll women who participated in the study experience significant heat stress while working outdoors during pregnancy, with symptoms often including headache, dizziness, nausea, and chills. The most common adaptive techniques included resting in the shade while working, completing their work in multiple shorter time increments, taking medicine to reduce symptoms like headache, using water to cool down, and reducing the amount of area they cultivate. Layered identities, experiences, and household power structures related to age, migration, marital situation, socioeconomic status, and supportive social relationships shaped the extent to which women were able to prevent and reduce the effects of heat exposure during their work whilst pregnant. Women who participated in this study demonstrated high awareness of climate change and offered important insights into potential values, priorities, and mechanisms to enable effective adaptation.ConclusionOur findings reveal many intersecting social and economic factors that shape the space within which women can make decisions and take adaptive action to reduce the impact of heat during their pregnancy. To improve the health of pregnant working women exposed to heat, these intersectionalities must be considered when supporting women to adapt their working practices and cope with heat stress.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Challenges of Working in the Heat Whilst Pregnant: Insights From Gambian Women Farmers in the Face of Climate Change

Spencer

Samateh

Wabnitz

et al. 2022

Front. Public Health

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“…In addition to calling for the immediate closure of nuclear power plants, they urged for the adoption of stringent regulations to ensure that the remaining plants are operated in a safe and responsible manner. Contemporary women's climate-action organizations including the Climate Women's Congress and Women Leaders for Planetary Health (de Paula et al, 2021) served as examples of how citizens can be instrumental in bringing attention and change through funding mechanisms, key performance indicators, as well as future-directed environmental planning and conservation. For example, in the Philippines, through the leadership of Sister Arcelita Sarnillo, who is a hospital administrator of St. Paul's Hospital in Iloilo, a green, sustainable, and climate-resilient healthcare transformation is in progress.…”

Section: From Acquiescence To Resistancementioning

confidence: 99%

Women and planetary health in Asia-Pacific

et al. 2023

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In the face of climate change, women's preconceived vulnerability and virtuousness often deflect focus from gender inequality in decision-making and leadership. Within environmental, political, and social crises, women are capable and proficient leaders who are pivotal to climate change action and are already inspiring social change in innovative ways. This article presents examples of women-led environment movements in the Asia-Pacific that challenge the patriarchal notions that women must be rescued rather than actively participate in their salvation. Historically, strategies have been centered on eco-conscious activism and organized protests. As climate change effects become more evident, engagement has transformed into emergency response and preparedness, with women's groups shepherding and leveraging through healthcare settings and grassroots and community networks. The way forward is to urge meaningful policy actions to support women as effective planetary stewards and campaigners against environmental challenges. This will be achieved through funding mechanisms, gender-inclusive representation mentorships, and pathways that transcend political boundaries.

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“…Findings will, for example, inform concerted international and national action to improve pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. A planetary health approach needs to focus on reducing inequalities, including of women in decision-making, especially in LMICs ( de Paula et al, 2021 ). A foresight paradigm encompassing both participatory methodologies and foresight computational tools could further enhance our capacity to capture the social, economic, environmental, ecological dynamics that determine the emergence of infectious health risks in different socioeconomic and cultural contexts.…”

Section: Long Term Research Need #7: Mechanisms For the Implementation Of Profound Changes To Safeguard The Environment And Human Health mentioning

confidence: 99%

Getting out of crises: Environmental, social-ecological and evolutionary research is needed to avoid future risks of pandemics

Destoumieux-Garzón

Matthies‐Wiesler

Bierne

et al. 2022

Environment International

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The implementation of One Health/EcoHealth/Planetary Health approaches has been identified as key (i) to address the strong interconnections between risk for pandemics, climate change and biodiversity loss and (ii) to develop and implement solutions to these interlinked crises. As a response to the multiple calls from scientists on that subject, we have here proposed seven long-term research questions regarding COVID-19 and emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) that are based on effective integration of environmental, ecological, evolutionary, and social sciences to better anticipate and mitigate EIDs. Research needs cover the social ecology of infectious disease agents, their evolution, the determinants of susceptibility of humans and animals to infections, and the human and ecological factors accelerating infectious disease emergence. For comprehensive investigation, they include the development of nature-based solutions to interlinked global planetary crises, addressing ethical and philosophical questions regarding the relationship of humans to nature and regarding transformative changes to safeguard the environment and human health. In support of this research, we propose the implementation of innovative multidisciplinary facilities embedded in social ecosystems locally: ecological health observatories and living laboratories. This work was carried out in the frame of the European Community project HERA ( www.HERAresearchEU.eu ), which aims to set priorities for an environment, climate and health research agenda in the European Union by adopting a systemic approach in the face of global environmental change.

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A planetary health blind spot: the untapped potential of women to safeguard nature and human resilience in LMICs

Cited by 14 publications

References 4 publications

The Challenges of Working in the Heat Whilst Pregnant: Insights From Gambian Women Farmers in the Face of Climate Change

The Challenges of Working in the Heat Whilst Pregnant: Insights From Gambian Women Farmers in the Face of Climate Change

Women and planetary health in Asia-Pacific

Getting out of crises: Environmental, social-ecological and evolutionary research is needed to avoid future risks of pandemics

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