Climate change hits women, low ow-income earners in Malawi
By Martha Chikoti
Lowest-income workers such as women, and low income earners have been singled out as the most affected groups by climate change in Malawi.
This has been disclosed during a Media Café workshop, implemented by Media for Environment, Science, Health and Agriculture (MESHA) under the theme “Reflections on climate change, gender, health, and impactful stories”.
Teresa Anderson, ActionAid International Climate Justice Lead, shared that farmers and workers are already squeezed, exploited, and stretched to the limit, feeling demonized, defensive, and blamed for the climate crisis, especially women.
She added that climate action needs to evolve daily needs and not accidentally push people into poverty.
“Transition is not yet standard climate practice. Short-cuts that leave out justice steps make the journey much longer. Just transition help communities transform from potential sceptics and blockers to powerful advocates for change,” explained Anderson
African Centre for Health, Climate and Gender Justice Alliance (ACHCGA) centers health justice by exposing how unequal access to resources, decision-making, and healthcare worsens climate impacts across gender lines.
The Strategic and Technical Lead for ACHCGA, Mali Ngusale, noted that climate change deepens existing gender inequalities by interacting with social, economic, and political power structures.
According to Ngusale, women and girls face heightened risks related to water scarcity, climate-induced displacement, and gender-based violence during climate emergencies.
The workshop is expected to play a pivotal role in media reporting as currently the media narratives influence gender-blind climate reporting that often erases the lived realities of women, caregivers, and frontline communities, leading to policy responses that fail to address health inequities.
It will promote ethical, gender-responsive media that can shift public understanding toward justice-oriented climate action.