Food insecurity becomes a growing issue as women lack accessibility to healthcare services

With a stronger grasp on Afghanistan, the Taliban puts the lives of many at risk as the climate crisis grows and healthcare for the Afghan people remains limited.  Women, who face limited rights in the nation, encounter an influx in climate-related issues as they suffer from a dependence on the male population and become water and food insecure in their households.  This combination of insecurity and lack of support from the government pushes women into a vulnerable position where they become susceptible to numerous climate-related health issues. With restricted movement due to cultural practices, women face trouble accessing healthcare.  This inaccessibility enhances the severity of climate-related health issues, and women become trapped in a cycle of dependence and vulnerability, according to climatecentre.org.  Ms. Alaa AbouZeid, a leader for the emergency teams at the World Health Organization’s Afghanistan office, discussed the cultural barriers that prevent women from seeking help individually, according to pbs.org.

“Being a female in Afghanistan is not easy,” Ms. AbouZeid said, according to pbs.org.  “It’s because of cultural issues in Afghanistan that limits the movement of women and girls, and sometimes make it difficult for them to access basic services, including health services.” 

As issues of malnutrition and food insecurity spread throughout the nation, the vulnerable position of women’s health threatens their safety and ability to protect themselves.  Over the past years, floods and droughts have destroyed crop production and left many farmers with insufficient produce.  The pattern of severe weather storms like “La Niña” pose a threat to the future progress of crop growth and leave many Afghan people unsure from where their next meal will source.  Women do not know where their source of food will come from as their societal norms leave them to be dependent on men.  Additionally, when the amount of food is too scarce, women are the last to receive their share or receive none at all, further contributing to their malnutrition and food insecurity.  Ms. Katie Pallet-Wiesel, a student at McGill University, wrote about the time barriers climate change and gender inequality create for female access to healthcare, according to catalystmcgill.com.

“The intersection between the climate crisis and women’s rights is apparent in Afghanistan, where the food crisis, worsened by climate change, disproportionately affects women,” Ms. Pallett-Wiesel wrote, according to catalystmcgill.com.  “Taking action to tackle the climate crisis is a necessary step toward gender equality.”

Featured Image by Zara Black ’23