Al Jazeera: Pakistan's Female Agricultural Workers Still Struggling From 2022 Floods

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Facts

  • Seven months after catastrophic flooding in Pakistan, millions of women are still facing severe hardship from losing their homes, crops, and livelihoods, according to an Al Jazeera report published on Friday.1
  • The damage from last year's historic floods, caused by extreme monsoon rains, is estimated at more than $30B, including 1,6K deaths and 2M destroyed homes. About 15% of Pakistan’s rice crop and 40% of its cotton crop were wiped out, according to authorities.2
  • According to some social scientists, women were especially impacted due to poverty, societal attitudes, and gender norms. '[Women] do not have equal access to resources or opportunities... This inequality contributes to their vulnerability,” explained Aisha Khan, head of the Mountain and Glacier Protection Organization and Civil Society Coalition for Climate Change.3
  • Data from the International Labour Organization shows that Agriculture is the country’s biggest employer, and female employment in the sector is 65%.1
  • In 2018, a UN status report documented that 7.2M female agricultural workers in Pakistan are exposed to extreme weather events after losing their homes and incomes.1
  • Some scientists believe global warming and climate change played a role in the floods, with one study arguing it might have increased the rainfall by 50% in some instances.4

Sources: 1Al Jazeera, 2Associated Press, 3Eco and 4Guardian.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Jacobin. Pakistan’s government isn't doing enough to help those impacted by the floods and is failing its citizens. Millions are still facing hunger, displacement, lack of clean drinking water, and no medical care months later. The government has been promising help since the floods, but those promises ring hollow. Instead, leaders are busy focusing on other issues like international diplomacy while the nation suffers.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Amnesty international. Wealthier states, like the US, need to do more to support countries impacted by climate change. They have benefited from decades of using fossil fuels and other unsustainable practices to enrich themselves at the cost of other countries. Pakistan, for example, has accounted for 0.4% of historic emissions since 1959 but is now one of the most climate-vulnerable places in the world. Those responsible for climate change should provide compensation for their actions.
  • Narrative C, as provided by Stimson center. Whether support is coming from the Pakistani government or from the international community, women should be at the forefront of relief efforts and future climate policies. They are especially vulnerable to climate disasters, so extra protections should be accorded to them.