[K-Women Talk] Climate Crisis Measures Must Address Women's Anxiety

Impact on Maternal Health and Non-Childbearing Decisions
South Korea Also Needs Gender-Sensitive Climate Policies

Chai In-soon, Adjunct Professor at Paichai University

Greenhouse gas emissions are rising again after COVID-19. According to the "2024 Korea Sustainable Development Implementation Report" released on the 21st of last month, South Korea ranks 5th among OECD countries in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, indicating a serious situation. Citizens have actively participated in separating household waste, and the proportion of greenhouse gases generated from household waste has decreased. However, as shown by the government's decision to postpone the use of paper straws, there is no strong sense of progress in government measures.

Social instability caused by the climate crisis is not a recent issue. Concerns extend beyond the increase in extreme weather, diseases, natural disasters, and the decline in biodiversity to include worries of women and socially vulnerable groups. The impact of climate change on vulnerable populations and gender is not neutral, as children, the elderly, people with disabilities, the poor, and women suffer more injuries or deaths. Especially, as clearly shown by the impact of COVID-19 on our society, disasters increase women's unemployment and caregiving time, deepening socioeconomic inequality and even increasing domestic violence. The climate crisis affects maternal health and also influences decisions on non-childbearing. A recent study found that American women aged 20 to 45 cited environmental anxiety caused by climate change as a reason for choosing not to have children.

The world is moving quickly to address gender and climate change issues. The idea of adding gender to climate change began in earnest at the 2014 Lima Conference for Climate Action in Peru. A gender-sensitive approach was requested throughout climate action and processes, and in 2017, the Gender Action Plan (GAP) under the Climate Agreement was established. The main contents of the action plan include integrating gender perspectives into climate-related projects, enhancing gender balance, participation, and leadership, addressing women's vulnerability to natural disasters, strengthening climate knowledge and capacity, and increasing related funding. As the content has been strengthened every year, the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Climate Agreement held at the end of last year decided to allocate 102,000 euros this year to focus on implementing the Gender Action Plan (GAP). UN Women, the UN agency for gender equality, also announced plans to introduce a gender equality monitoring system for national climate actions.

What is South Korea doing now? It is no exaggeration to say that there is no gender perspective in climate policy. The Basic Plan under the Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth Framework Act and adaptation measures for responding to the climate crisis lack specific project details and have no role for the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. What is more worrying is that the pledges of all parties submitted to the Central Election Commission for the 22nd general election show no awareness of this issue. While the European Union, Canada, Sweden, and developing countries have announced Gender Action Plans, no department in our government is addressing this issue.

In the early days of the Low Carbon Green Growth Framework Act, organizing the "WE Green Women Action Group" as if housewives' energy saving was the solution was problematic and merely event-driven. But it is an even bigger problem that neither the government nor the National Assembly shows interest or takes any action regarding the Gender Action Plan requested by the UN Climate Agreement, as is the case now. Women's anxiety about the climate crisis is growing. Although late, we must now build gender-disaggregated statistics on children, the elderly, people with disabilities, the poor, and women related to the climate crisis, and develop more specific and advanced measures for the impacts of the climate crisis and disasters. It is too late after disasters occur. The impact of the climate crisis on maternal health must also be continuously researched and analyzed. At a time when low birthrate measures are important, these basic matters must be well managed first.

Cha Insoon, Adjunct Professor at Paichai University