The Role of Women's Empowerment in Reducing Anthropogenic Contributions to Global Warming

Abstract

As climate change continues to worsen, threatening the livelihoods and well-beings of everyone on this planet, mitigating or preventing its effects has become increasingly important. This thesis focuses on prevention of future climate change through a reduction of world population growth, particularly because this strategy is consistently overlooked in climate change policy. A closer look at countries with the highest Total Fertility Rate shows that they tend to also be where gender parity is most limited. The connection can thus be made that the underlying factor to facilitating slower population growth is ensuring women's empowerment through increased access to education, to comprehensive sexuality education, and to reproductive healthcare services. By providing women and families with the tools to make informed choices about their health, wealth, and future, world governments would also be equipping future generations to make changes for long-lasting global sustainability.