IV 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 84 

Recognizing the disparate impact of climate change on women and the efforts 

of women globally to address climate change. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 3, 2011 

Ms. LEE of California (for herself, Mr. CARNAHAN, Mr. HONDA, Mr. ISRAEL, 

Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. PAYNE, Mrs. MALONEY, Ms. WOOLSEY, Ms. SPEIER, 

and Mrs. CAPPS) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which 

was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the disparate impact of climate change on 

women and the efforts of women globally to address 

climate change. 

Whereas the month of March is recognized as Women’s History Month, and was celebrated in 2011 in accordance 

with the theme ‘‘Our History is Our Strength’’, during 

which time our Nation highlights the contributions of 

women to events in history and contemporary society; 

Whereas women in the United States and around the world 

are the linchpin of families and communities and are 

often the first to feel the immediate and adverse affects 

of social, environmental, and economic stresses on their 

families and communities; 


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•HCON 84 IH 

Whereas the United Nations has recognized, as one of the 

central organizing principles for its work, that ‘‘no enduring solution to society’s most threatening social, economic 

and political problems can be found without the full participation, and the full empowerment, of the world’s 

women’’; 

Whereas the United Nations Development Programme 2011 

Human Development Report has emphasized that poverty-stricken communities suffer the greatest harm from 

environmental degradation, requiring policies that recognize the human right to a healthy environment; 

Whereas climate change is already forcing vulnerable communities in developing countries to face unprecedented climate stress, including water scarcity and drought, severe 

weather events and floods, which can lead to reduced agricultural productivity, food insecurity, and increased disease; 

Whereas climate change exacerbates issues of scarcity and 

lack of accessibility to primary natural resources, forest 

resources, and arable land for food production, thereby 

contributing to increased conflict and instability, as well 

as the workload and stresses on women farmers, who are 

estimated to produce 60 to 80 percent of the food in 

most developing countries; 

Whereas women will disproportionately face harmful impacts 

from climate change, particularly in poor and developing 

nations where women regularly assume increased responsibility for growing the family’s food and collecting water, 

fuel, and other resources; 

Whereas infectious disease epidemics, such as malaria, are 

expected to worsen and spread due to variations in cliVerDate Mar 15 2010 01:50 Nov 04, 2011 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HC84.IH HC84

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•HCON 84 IH 

mate, putting women and children without access to prevention and medical services at risk; 

Whereas food insecure women with limited socioeconomic resources may be vulnerable to situations such as sex work, 

transactional sex, and early marriage that put them at 

risk for HIV, STIs, unplanned pregnancy, and poor reproductive health; 

Whereas conflict has a disproportionate impact on the most 

vulnerable populations including women, and is fueled in 

the world’s poorest regions by harsher climate, leading to 

migration, refugee crises, and conflicts over scarce natural resources including land and water; 

Whereas it is predicted that climate change will lead to increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather conditions, precipitating the occurrence of natural disasters 

around the globe; 

Whereas the direct and indirect effects of climate change 

have a disproportionate impact on marginalized women 

such as refugee and displaced persons, sexual minorities, 

religious or ethnic minorities, adolescent girls, and 

women and girls with disabilities and those who are HIV 

positive; 

Whereas recent studies indicate that women and children are 

14 times more likely to die than men during natural disasters; 

Whereas the relocation and death of women, and especially 

mothers, as a result of climate-related disasters often has 

devastating impacts on social support networks, family 

ties, and the coping capacity of families and communities; 

Whereas women in the United States are also particularly affected by climate-related disasters, as evidenced in the 


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•HCON 84 IH 

wake of Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast region, 

which displaced over 83 percent of low-income, single 

mothers; 

Whereas the ability of women to adapt to climate change is 

constrained by a lack of economic freedoms, property and 

inheritance rights, as well as access to financial resources, education, family planning and reproductive 

health, and new tools, equipment, and technology; 

Whereas, despite a unique capacity and knowledge to promote 

and provide for adaptation to climate change, women 

often have insufficient resources to undertake such adaptation; 

Whereas women are shown to have a multiplier effect by 

using their income and resources, when given the necessary tools, to increase the well being of their children 

and families, and thus play a critical role in reducing 

food insecurity, poverty, and socioeconomic effects of climate change; 

Whereas women are often underrepresented in the development and formulation of policy regarding adaptation to 

climate change, even though they are often in the best 

position to provide and consult on adaptive strategies; 

and 

Whereas the celebration of Women’s History Month, coinciding annually with International Women’s Day on 

March 8, serves as a yearly reminder of ongoing efforts 

to promote and protect the equal rights of women as well 

as their equal participation in the political and economic 

process: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That Congress— 


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•HCON 84 IH 

1 (1) recognizes the disparate impacts of climate 

2 change on women and the efforts of women globally 

3 to address climate change; 

4 (2) encourages the use of gender-sensitive 

5 frameworks in developing policies to address climate 

6 change, which account for the specific impacts of cli7 mate change on women; 

8 (3) recognizes the need for balanced participa9 tion of men and women in climate change adaptation 

10 and mitigation efforts, including in governance posi11 tions; 

12 (4) affirms its commitment to support women 

13 who are particularly vulnerable to climate change 

14 impacts to prepare for, build their resilience, and 

15 adapt to those impacts; 

16 (5) affirms its commitment to empower women 

17 to have a voice in the planning, design, implementa18 tion, and evaluation of strategies to address climate 

19 change so that their roles and resources are taken 

20 into account; 

21 (6) affirms the commitment to include women 

22 in economic development planning, policies, and 

23 practices that directly improve conditions that result 

24 from climate change; and 

25 (7) encourages the President to— 


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1 (A) integrate a gender approach in all poli2 cies and programs in the United States that are 

3 globally related to climate change; and 

4 (B) ensure that those policies and pro5 grams support women globally to prepare for, 

6 build resilience for, and adapt to climate 

7 change. 

Æ 


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