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Already among the most vulnerable populations worldwide, women and
other marginalized groups have been the most acutely affected by the
instabilities produced by climate change. Issues such as water scarcity,
drought, and other environmental problems threaten the world's food
supply, making it more difficult for disadvantaged groups to obtain the
basic necessities of life. Increased temperatures and more intense
weather patterns raise the likelihood of illness and disease, especially
among the poor. Diminishing resources, known to increase conflict and
war, are leading to greater numbers of "climate refugees" and displaced
people. In all of these situations, women are disproportionately
affected by the dangers that climate change poses to our world.
At the
same time, women and people of color have been at the forefront of many
movements for environmental justice, incorporating analysis of race,
class, and gender that governments and mainstream environmental policy
have ignored or failed to recognize. Looking at these issues in a wide
variety of contexts, we bring together a group of panelists to explore
how global climate change poses not just a disproportionate threat to
some, but also how scholars and activists are responding. How does
social exploitation parallel environmental exploitation in regional and
global contexts, and how can an analysis of gender and race help build
an effective response? How can the diverse groups that are affected find
common ground? What are the challenges and complexities of working
within multiple movements, including those for environmental, racial,
and gender justice? These questions and many others are the focus of
this year's Scholar and Feminist Conference on Feminism and Climate
Change.
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