[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 84 Introduced in House (IH)]

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;
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 climate, 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 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
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) recognizes the disparate impacts of climate change on 
        women and the efforts of women globally to address climate 
        change;
            (2) encourages the use of gender-sensitive frameworks in 
        developing policies to address climate change, which account 
        for the specific impacts of climate change on women;
            (3) recognizes the need for balanced participation of men 
        and women in climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts, 
        including in governance positions;
            (4) affirms its commitment to support women who are 
        particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts to prepare 
        for, build their resilience, and adapt to those impacts;
            (5) affirms its commitment to empower women to have a voice 
        in the planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of 
        strategies to address climate change so that their roles and 
        resources are taken into account;
            (6) affirms the commitment to include women in economic 
        development planning, policies, and practices that directly 
        improve conditions that result from climate change; and
            (7) encourages the President to--
                    (A) integrate a gender approach in all policies and 
                programs in the United States that are globally related 
                to climate change; and
                    (B) ensure that those policies and programs support 
                women globally to prepare for, build resilience for, 
                and adapt to climate change.
                                 <all>