On today’s episode of New Security Broadcast, ECSP is launching a new series called The Arc, focused on the connections between climate change, equity, justice, and identity. We will cover a wide range of topics – from food and water systems to the energy transition, migration, and climate finance – and talk with practitioners, advocates, professors, and community leaders to discover where these topics intersect with issues related to climate impacts and justice.

In the fight for global gender equality, women’s economic empowerment and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are intrinsically linked. This year, for instance, the Biden-Harris administration launched the U.S. Strategy on Global Women’s Economic Security. The interagency strategy is the first of its kind, and it lays out a vision in which women and girls around the world, in all their diversity, are able to fully, meaningfully, and equally contribute to, and benefit from, economic growth and global prosperity.

The Biden-Harris Administration marked a significant milestone earlier this year by hosting the second Summit for Democracy—which highlighted steadfast commitments to advancing women’s political and civic engagement. Global efforts towards achieving gender equality have not prevented the continuing worldwide underrepresentation of women in political decision-making—hindering progress towards empowerment and equal participation.

It is well established that women’s and girls’ lives are disproportionately affected by humanitarian emergencies—and that these crises often underscore pre-existing discriminatory practices. According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), women and children account for more than 75 percent of those at risk from war, famine, persecution, and natural disaster. During these emergencies (and in their aftermath), women and girls are exposed to greater threats, such as the loss of livelihoods, education, and security due to displacement and the breakdown of social order.