Women’s empowerment and climate change

There is growing interest in climate resilient WASH in many regions that are impacted by climate hazards such as floods, droughts and sea level rise that all affect delivery of these services. In many cases these impacts threaten to further exacerbate gender inequalities related to WASH. Within this context we are studying the missing links between empowerment and climate adaptation in Bangladesh, in collaboration with Simavi, a WASH NGO focused on the rights to water and sanitation for women and girls with a strong emphasis on social and climate justice. When decisions needs to be made to prepare for climate impacts or to recover, it is important to consider who is empowered in these decisions at all levels from the individual, household or community. The findings from this work will have important implications for just adaptation and resilience building.