Background of the Simulation
by Samantha Kilson, a student leader of Cabrini’s simulation
Our ECG 300 class’s Cabrini Day Simulation, “Climate Change Hurts Women Most,” was focused on the intersection between gender inequality and climate change. In other words, we studied the ways climate change impacted women more than men.
The main purpose of our simulation was to educate the Cabrini community about these issues and encourage everyone to advocate for government funding to combat climate change. However, we wanted to go a step further and have an emotional impact on everyone who went through our simulation. By getting the participants involved, we aimed to increase their empathy toward women who are affected by climate change, especially those in poor countries.
We wanted everyone to try to put themselves in another person’s shoes and make people think more about what life must be like in these countries. I think we succeeded in all these goals. Most people who moved through our simulation seemed very receptive to our presentations, which showed in the way they interacted with the demonstrations and asked questions.
This article from Global Citizen is essential reading if you wish to use or adapt our simulation. The thesis of the article is that “Heat waves, droughts, rising sea levels, and extreme storms disproportionately affect women. That’s because women are more likely to live in poverty than men, have less access to basic human rights like the ability to freely move and acquire land, and face systematic violence that escalates during periods of instability.”
Climate change is a force multiplier, so it worsens hunger, poverty, and migration. Poverty and hunger are closely related because people living in poverty have a harder time buying or growing the food they need to feed their families. If they can buy food, their financial situation could limit the amount they can get or force them to get food with little nutritional value. Living in hunger at a young age also stunts a child’s physical and cognitive growth, which can make earning an education and finding a good job more difficult. Therefore, a child who grows up hungry is more likely to live in poverty as an adult, especially if they were already living in poverty. Poverty, hunger, and migration are all related because poverty and hunger may force people to migrate to other places as a last resort. People migrate to escape poverty and hunger, find higher-paying jobs, and for several other reasons, many of which are worsened by climate change.
Designing this simulation with my class and presenting it at Cabrini Day helped me become more confident in the material and myself. I did so much research in general throughout the course, but I learned the most about the connection between climate change and migration because I presented at the migration station. After learning so much and sharing this information with the Cabrini community, I feel better prepared to have conversations with others about these issues. Before taking ECG 300 with Dr. Zurek, I was nervous to speak up on global issues with family and friends because I feared that I didn’t know enough. Now I know that I am capable of having these tough conversations. Even if I don’t know everything, I can always do more research.
Preparation reading:
- Excellent background can be found in Roger Thurow’s “The Last Hunger Season” book or short videos.
- “Understanding Why Climate Change Impacts Women More Than Men,” Global Citizen, 2020.
- “New Report: Why Climate Change Impacts Women Differently Than Men,” UN Climate Change, 2022
- “Dimensions and examples of the gender-differentiated impacts of climate change, the role of women as agents of change and opportunities for women. Synthesis report by the secretariat,” United Nations Climate Change, 2022.
- “Five ways climate change hurts women and girls,” Relief Web, 2021.
- “The Climate Crisis Is Worse for Women. Here’s Why,” NY Times, 2021.
