The Unseen Burden: Why Women Will Bear the Brunt of the Super El Niño
There’s a storm brewing, and it’s not just in the skies. This year’s super El Niño is poised to unleash chaos across the globe, but what’s truly alarming is who will feel its wrath the most: women. Personally, I think this is one of those stories that hides in plain sight—a crisis within a crisis. While the world frets over crop failures and economic losses, the human cost, particularly for women, is being dangerously overlooked.
The Gendered Face of Climate Disasters
El Niño, with its erratic weather patterns, is no stranger to headlines. But what makes this particularly fascinating is how its impacts are so unevenly distributed. Walter Mwasaa, regional director for CARE International in East and Southern Africa, puts it bluntly: women will suffer the most. From my perspective, this isn’t just a prediction—it’s a reflection of systemic inequalities that climate disasters amplify.
Take the example of Somaliland, where droughts force girls to spend hours fetching water instead of attending school. Or Bangladesh, where climate-induced disasters have led to a 40% rise in child marriages. These aren’t isolated incidents; they’re symptoms of a deeper problem. What many people don’t realize is that in times of crisis, women’s needs are often deprioritized. Pregnant women, for instance, require diverse diets, but in households with dwindling resources, they’re often the last to eat.
The Double Whammy: Climate Change and Aid Cuts
Here’s where it gets even more complicated. Just as the super El Niño looms, foreign aid cuts are gutting programs that could help women weather the storm. CARE’s budget in East and Southern Africa is set to plummet from $250 million to $140 million by 2027. In Somalia, 50 health and nutrition centers have closed since 2026, leaving millions of malnourished children and exhausted pregnant women with nowhere to turn.
What this really suggests is that the climate crisis and funding cuts are creating a perfect storm for women’s suffering. If you take a step back and think about it, these aren’t just numbers—they’re lives. Lives that are being sacrificed at the altar of austerity and environmental neglect.
The Hidden Costs of Adaptation
Climate adaptation efforts, while necessary, are also diverting resources from programs that could empower women. Mr. Mwasaa points out that the focus on emergency relief leaves little room for initiatives like education, market access, or improved farming practices. This raises a deeper question: Are we addressing the symptoms of climate change while ignoring the root causes of inequality?
A detail that I find especially interesting is the push for private sector partnerships as a solution. In theory, it sounds promising—less dependency on aid, more economic engagement. But in practice, it’s fraught with challenges. As Mr. Mwasaa notes, finding affordable, relevant products from wealthy nations for African markets is no easy feat.
A Glimmer of Hope: Pan-African Cooperation
Amid the gloom, there’s a silver lining. Across Africa, countries are beginning to cooperate in ways that were once rare. From Ebola responses to food security initiatives, there’s a growing sense of ownership and solidarity. Personally, I think this is the kind of resilience that could redefine development in the years ahead.
Final Thoughts
The super El Niño isn’t just a weather event—it’s a mirror reflecting our failures and biases. Women, already marginalized in many societies, are being pushed to the brink. But here’s the thing: this isn’t inevitable. With smarter policies, equitable funding, and a commitment to addressing systemic inequalities, we can change the narrative.
In my opinion, the real question isn’t whether we can afford to act—it’s whether we can afford not to. The cost of inaction will be measured not just in dollars, but in lives, livelihoods, and the future of generations to come.
