Gender and the Social Dimensions of Climate Change: Rural and Resource Contexts of the Global North

Dispelling the myth that people in the Global North share similar experiences of climate change, this book reveals how intersecting social dimensions of climate change―people, processes, and institutions―give rise to different experiences of loss, adaptation, and resilience among those living in rural and resource contexts of the Global North.

Bringing together leading feminist researchers and practitioners from three countries―Australia, Canada, and Spain―this collection documents gender relations in fossil fuel, mining, and extractive industries, in land-based livelihoods, in approaches for inclusive environmental policy, and in the lived experience of climate hazards. Uniquely, the book brings together the voices, expertise, and experiences of both academic researchers and women whose views have not been prioritized in formal policies―for example, women in agriculture, Indigenous women, immigrant women, and women in male-dominated professions. Their contributions are insightful and compelling, highlighting the significance of gaining diverse perspectives for a fuller understanding of climate change impacts, more equitable processes and strategies for climate change adaptation, and a more welcoming climate future.

This book will be vital reading for students and scholars of gender studies, environmental studies, environmental sociology, geography, and sustainability science. It will provide important insights for planners, decision makers, and community advocates to strengthen their understanding of social dimensions of climate change and to develop more inclusive and equitable adaptation policies, plans, and practices.

Amber J. Fletcher is Associate Professor of Sociology & Social Studies and Academic Director of the Community Engagement and Research Centre at the University of Regina, Canada. Her research examines how gender and social inequality affect the lived experience of climate disaster in rural and Indigenous communities of the Canadian Prairies. In 2017, she edited the book Women in Agriculture Worldwide with Dr Wendee Kubik. She has served as a consultant to the United Nations World Water Assessment Programme and as an official delegate to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. She is a contributing author to a 2019 special report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and is former President of the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women. She holds two medals from the Governor General of Canada for her research and advocacy on gender equality in Canada. In 2020 she was the Greeley Scholar for Peace Studies at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Maureen G. Reed is Distinguished Professor and a UNESCO Chair in Biocultural Diversity, Sustainability, Reconciliation, and Renewal at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. Her research programme focuses on the social dimensions of sustainability―how people, processes, and institutions shape decisions about environment and development. She has received many awards for her work, including the Canadian Association of Geographers Award for Scholarly Distinction in Geography; the University of Saskatchewan Distinguished Researcher Award; the YWCA-Saskatoon Women of Distinction Lifetime Achievement Award and the University of Saskatchewan Distinguished Graduate Supervisor Award.