World · India Bureau
Climate crisis could push 141 million women into extreme poverty by 2050
Climate change threatens to deepen gender inequality across South and Southeast Asia, with UN Women warning that 141 million additional women and girls could face extreme poverty by mid-century. The crisis will disproportionately impact women's access to food, employment and income opportunities.
LSN India ·
The United Nations Women agency has sounded an alarm over the cascading effects of climate change on gender equality, projecting that 141 million more women and girls could be driven into extreme poverty by 2050 if current trends continue. The warning underscores how environmental degradation is widening existing economic gaps between men and women across developing regions.
According to the UN Women assessment, climate impacts will exacerbate vulnerabilities in multiple dimensions of women's lives. Food insecurity, already disproportionately affecting women in low-income households, is expected to worsen as agricultural productivity declines. Employment opportunities for women in climate-sensitive sectors, particularly agriculture and informal economies, will face mounting pressure as environmental stress intensifies.
The gender-specific impacts of climate change reflect broader structural inequalities. Women in South and Southeast Asia often have limited access to land, credit and technology, leaving them less equipped to adapt to environmental changes. Their roles as primary caregivers further constrain mobility and economic participation when climate-related disasters strike.
Regional experts note that addressing this crisis requires targeted policies that strengthen women's economic resilience, expand their access to climate adaptation resources, and ensure their participation in environmental decision-making. Without urgent intervention, climate change threatens to reverse decades of progress in gender equality and poverty reduction across the region.