Climate Change cause rise in violence against Women in South Asia: Study

 

Photo: UN Women

A recent study published in the peer-reviewed general medical journal Jama Psychiatry has established a significant correlation between climate change and incidents of violence against women, particularly in South Asian countries.

The research focused on evaluating the association between ambient temperature and the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) among partnered women in low and middle-income countries in South Asia. Data from 194,871 girls and women aged 15-49 in India, Pakistan, and Nepal, collected from October 1, 2010, to April 30, 2018, was analyzed for this purpose.

Analysis of the data revealed that physical violence had the highest percentage (23.0%), followed by emotional (12.5%) and sexual violence (9.5%). The study period witnessed a mean temperature range of 20°C to 30°C.

The study's findings indicated that each 1°C increase in the annual mean temperature contributed to a mean increase of 4.49% in the prevalence of violence against women.

Projections based on these findings suggest that by the end of the 21st century, violence against women would increase by 21.0% if the rate of carbon emissions remains unchecked.

By 2090, India is expected to witness the highest increase in IPV prevalence (23.5%), followed by Nepal (14.8%) and Pakistan (5.9%).

GBV Cases in Lahore (2018-2023)

Lahore, Pakistan, one of the countries significantly impacted by climate change, has been listed among the most polluted cities globally. Notably, changes in mean temperature have been observed in Lahore between 2018 and 2023.

Statistics provided by the Lahore Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Cell indicate a concerning rise in registered cases of GBV since 2018.

In 2018, the GBV Cell recorded 531 cases in Lahore. However, by 2022, this number had nearly doubled to 1,033 cases. These cases encompassed incidents of rape, child abuse, and gang rape, falling under sections 377, 376, and 511 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

The report available at the following link

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2806604?resultClick=1

Citation

Zhu Y, He C, Bell M, et al. Association of Ambient Temperature With the Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Among Partnered Women in Low- and Middle-Income South Asian Countries. JAMA Psychiatry. Published online June 28, 2023. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.1958