GLOBAL GIRLHOOD REPORT 2023 (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Social Issue)

Context: According to a recently released report by Save the Children, nearly nine million girls worldwide are at higher risk of child marriage due to climate disasters.

• The number of girls growing up in the top 10 hotspots is expected to increase by 2.3 million from 29.9 million to 32.2 million by 2030, the report estimated. By 2050, the number of girls in these hotspots will be 39.9 million, an increase of one-third.
• Approximately two-thirds of child marriages are concentrated in regions bearing higher-than-average climate risks, revealed Global Girlhood Report 2023.

Highlights of Reports

• The climate crisis affects girls across multiple facets, including food security, poverty, migration, safety, education, and health.
• Child marriage is often used as a coping mechanism to mitigate economic vulnerability and food insecurity resulting from climate-related disasters, leading to approximately 9 million girls globally facing an increased risk of forced child marriage annually.
• Two-thirds of child marriages are expected to occur in regions with above-average climate risks.
• Nearly 60% of girls worldwide are projected to encounter at least one extreme climate event by 2030.
• Climate change plans lack adequate provisions to address these issues; the Paris Agreement recognizes the importance of promoting gender equality but does not specifically address girls' concerns.
• The Gender Action Plan at COP25 only mentions girls in the context of their participation in science and technology for climate solutions.

Recommendations 

• Gender equality and protection from gender-based violence in climate action plans, investing in anticipatory measures to meet girls' needs, and supporting girls as decision-makers and proponents of feminist movements.