SEO Riders:
– Extreme heat and pollution intensify pregnancy complications—greater risk of preterm birth and gestational illnesses.
– Women displaced or reliant on natural resources face rising gender‑based violence, food insecurity, and reduced reproductive autonomy.
– Health disparities deepened by climate shocks call for gender‑responsive adaptation policies and stronger health infrastructure.
Climate and health specialists are raising alarms over how climate change disproportionately jeopardizes women’s health, particularly in developing regions. Extreme heat exposure during pregnancy dramatically increases the likelihood of preterm labor, stillbirth, gestational diabetes, and low birth weight. Air pollution and heatwaves impair fetal development and maternal well‑being through hypertension and prenatal stress, while disruptions to reproductive health services further escalate risks. The World Health Organization and UNSDG research emphasizes that vulnerable groups—pregnant women, infants, and older people—are bearing the brunt of climate‑related health threats, yet have largely been overlooked in planning and adaptation efforts.
These risks are compounded for women displaced by climate disasters or dependent on natural resource collection. Female-headed households suffer greater income loss during floods and droughts, and women are disproportionately exposed to gender-based violence, forced marriage, and disruption of menstrual hygiene and childbearing services . UNFPA data indicates that countries most vulnerable to climate shocks also lead the world in maternal mortality, adolescent birth rates, and intimate partner violence, underscoring the intersectional crisis faced by women and girls. To reduce these inequities, experts advocate for gender-responsive climate action—integrating sexual and reproductive health into national adaptation plans, strengthening healthcare systems, and supporting midwives and birth workers as essential frontline responders.
