Impacts of Climate Change in Exacerbating Gender-Based Violence in District Mohmand, Pakistan

Abstract

Generally, climate change and Gender Based Violence have been studied separately. The present research explores the nexus between climate change and Gender Based Violence in District Mohmand, Pakistan. The study focuses on how the impacts of climate change triggers gender-based violence. The study employs a qualitative approach in which data has been collected from thirty women by using purposive sampling and furthers presented through thematic analysis. The findings of the study reveal women in study area are engaged in different unpaid activities such as water fetching, farming, collecting firewood from the mountains and domestic work. Due to climate change factors the underground water table has depleted which has further impacted on agriculture sectors, local forests and shrubs and other water related needs of the targeted community. As due to local norms, the women are mainly responsible for carrying out these activities. As a result, gender-based violence has also increased in form of carrying out water and collecting firewood from long distances, health issues during carrying out heavy vessels like nerves pain, headache, depression and frustration. On economic side, the women are facing time poverty as majority of their precious time is spend in arranging this unpaid labour resulting them backward in availing health and education services. The study recommends that further research should be conducted to cover the policy side of this phenomenon.