The health effects of climate change: Experiences of young people in Bangladesh, Guatemala, and Nigeria

Climate change is affecting the health and well-being of adolescents and young people (AYP) worldwide. This happens through direct exposure pathways but mainly indirectly, by influencing economic and food insecurity, access to health services, and harmful gender norms and social inequalities. According to a recent meta-analysis of 130 studies, climate change disproportionately harms the health of women and girls, especially younger generations. There are intergenerational inequities in exposure to climate extremes. A child born in 2020 will face an up to sevenfold increase in extreme climate events compared to one born in 1960. These events will have cascading harms and impacts on the life trajectories of the next generation. This includes impacting their health, economic prospects, and well-being, disproportionately for AYP who face additional gender-related harms. At the same time, young people can and do also contribute to climate action. As noted in this brief, future research is necessary to understand the lived experiences of young people and how climate change is affecting their physical and mental health, especially sexual and reproductive health

How climate change is shaping young people’s livelihoods and educational opportunities

The climate crisis is threatening global access to education and the creation of livelihood and/or economic opportunities for adolescents and young people (AYP). Climate change prevents more than 12.5 million girls from completing their education each year, and this is projected to increase. The Population Council and Women Deliver conducted participatory, AYP co-led focus group discussions in three countries (Bangladesh, Guatemala, and Nigeria). In each country, a participant in the Women Deliver Young Leaders program teamed up with Council researchers to talk to AYP (ages 12–25 years) about how climate change is affecting their lives, from health to education to ways that young people are taking action. Each country added a focus group to talk to marginalized subgroups (for example, trans AYP in Bangladesh and Indigenous AYP in Guatemala). A total of 196 AYP were interviewed. Focus groups covered a range of topics on how climate change is affecting their lives and futures. This brief summarizes responses from participants regarding how climate change is harming access to school, contributing to dropout, and causing loss of livelihood opportunities

Having a child before becoming an adult: Exploring the economic impact in a multi-country analysis

This report, prepared by Population Council and Women Deliver, presents findings from one of the first multi-country analyses to examine the short- and long-term impacts of having a child before age 18 on employment and monetary compensation (cash earnings). Cash earnings (as opposed to in-kind payments and unpaid work) play an important role in economic empowerment. Research suggests women receiving cash are more likely to be able to make decisions about their own healthcare and education. The study dives further into women’s economic empowerment by analyzing married women’s sole control over her cash earnings. A woman’s power to make her own decisions over her health, income, and life choices is a marker of empowerment and a core element of gender equality

Twenty Years after Beijing: Can Promises be Turned into Progress?

Twenty years since the landmark women's conference at Beijing, and as the post?2015 agenda is concluded, it is clear that there has been a significant increase in rhetoric from governments and even some notable achievements in the field of women's equality and rights. But a failure to tackle underlying causes – particularly the persistent unequal power relations between women and men – has thwarted real, sustainable progress. A report by the Gender and Development Network has identified four areas in need of far greater political focus and resources: working with marginalised women to build their own agency; supporting women's collective action; promoting positive social norms; and reassessing macroeconomic policies and the role of the care economy