Climate Change and SGBV nexus: Miklah Facilitated this conversation in the GBV movement Symposium, explore!
Climate Change and SGBV intersection should be obvious, right? Well, not to everyone!
Miklah facilitated a compelling discussion on the intersection of climate change and sexual-gender-based violence (#SGBV) at the #MIFUMI, #Cordaid, and #GenderHeroes symposium on the #GBVmovement for the prevention and control of gender-based violence. It was an honor to share insights and experiences from our years of policy advocacy and action through #Innovations, #Research, and #Entrepreneurship. Additionally, we learned immensely from grassroots participants who are the true heroes of the #GBV movement.
Climate Change, SGBV, and the nexus, what is this?
I definied these terms well, and so I will just share the screenshots!






Climate Change and SGBV: Explore it all!

Did you know that women are 14 times more likely to die during disasters compared to men? According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP, 2016), gender inequalities in access to resources, mobility, and decision-making amplify women’s vulnerability in climate-induced crises. Listen to this: Males are often direct targets in wars! On climate-induced migrations, over 80% of climate-displaced persons are women (UN Women, 2020).
The Reproductive Health Impacts of Climate Change
Climate-induced heatwaves have been linked to increased risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes, including abortion, preterm births, stillbirths, and low birth weights (Basu et al., 2016). Meanwhile, droughts exacerbate menstrual hygiene challenges and limit girls’ access to education due to water scarcity and the financial burden of acquiring sanitary materials (UNICEF, 2021). Furthermore, climate stressors affect women’s traditional roles in food provision, child-rearing, and caregiving, increasing their workload and emotional distress.
Gender-Based Violence and Climate Disruptions
How does climate-induced disruption of women’s usual and cultural roles—such as providing food, water, firewood, and fulfilling sexual expectations—increase gender-based violence? Studies indicate that resource scarcity often leads to domestic tensions, with ‘Sex Denial’ due to exhaustion or stress being cited as a trigger for intimate partner violence (IPV) (Dankelman, 2010). The long distances women travel in climate-affected areas to fetch food, water, and firewood expose them to heightened risks of violence, including sexual assault and abduction (WHO, 2021).
Clean Energy and Gender Equity
Have you ever thought about clean energy from a gender perspective? Globally, up to 90% of households in low-income countries rely on firewood for cooking, exposing women—who are traditionally responsible for cooking—to smoke-induced respiratory and cardiovascular diseases (WHO, 2019). Studies have shown that household air pollution contributes to over 4 million premature deaths annually, with women disproportionately affected (Lelieveld et al., 2015).
Climate Displacement and Sexual Violence
The psychological toll of climate-induced displacement is significant, especially for women in caregiving roles. The uncertainty of securing food, water, and shelter leads to anxiety, depression, and emotional distress (Haines et al., 2021). Moreover, young girls in refugee and displacement camps face heightened risks of sexual violence, exploitation, and trafficking due to inadequate privacy, long distances to essential services, and socio-economic vulnerabilities (IRC, 2019). Reports indicate that rates of rape, defilement, and sexual exploitation surge in post-disaster settings (CARE International, 2020).
The Call for Climate-GBV Action: Our roles & Opportunities

The dangers that climate change poses to boys and girls, simply due to gendered vulnerabilities, are too significant to ignore. However, there are numerous roles and opportunities we can all take to address this crisis. We must integrate climate justice with gender justice, ensuring that interventions tackle the root causes of both climate vulnerability and gender-based violence.
For more of such discussions or even innovations and entrepreneurship for climate change, do the following:
Gratitude and Call to Action
We extend our gratitude to #Mifumi, #Cordaid, #HeroesforGBV, and other partners for the opportunity to contribute to this critical discourse. Together, we can drive transformative change at the intersection of climate action and gender equity. Keep it #Miklah at miklahlife.com always. THANK YOU.