Document Type
Report
Abstract
The impacts of climate change, whether they are gradual changes in agriculture and living conditions or the more cataclysmic effects of a cyclone or flood, are different for different populations. But inevitably children everywhere are badly affected, and girls in particular bear the greater burden. Their lives, prospects and human rights must be better protected. We will never achieve climate justice without addressing the gender dimensions of climate change, and girls themselves, their skills, knowledge and energy, must be part of the search for solutions. During UNFCCC’s COP-16 in Cancún, Mexico, in December 2010 the girls who attended demonstrated their critical awareness of the importance of climate justice in contributing to the right to sustainable development. They spoke out about the impacts of climate change on their lives; they discussed their needs, their fears and their dreams. Their words should inspire us to take action. However, in many national and international fora and in planning at more local levels children’s voices are still absent. Decisions on climate change must be inclusive and participatory if they are to work.
Publication Date
2011
Recommended Citation
Swarup, Anita; Dankelman, Irene; Ahluwalia, Kanwal; and Hawrylyshyn, Kelly, "Weathering the storm: Adolescent girls and climate change" (2011). East Africa. 12.
https://repository.fit.edu/africa_ea/12