U.N. Women released a statement in late May underscoring concerns that the effects of this outbreak may be disproportionately felt by women, who are often overrepresented in administering care for sick family and community members, increasing risks of infection.
Last month, researcher Lindsay Stark told CG about new findings that show global outbreaks — including those exacerbated by climate shifts and land use change — may increase the risks of gender-based violence, or GBV. Last week, Stark appeared on WBUR's Here & Now to discuss the research amid the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
While the outbreak remains a major global health concern, the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have downsized their estimations of suspected Ebola deaths in the region. As of June 4, the CDC noted fewer than 70 confirmed deaths.
U.N. Women released a statement in late May underscoring concerns that the effects of this outbreak may be disproportionately felt by women, who are often overrepresented in administering care for sick family and community members, increasing risks of infection. The agency also pointed to the potential for increased risks of GBV.
The U.N. Population Fund, which focuses on sexual and reproductive health, released a similar statement earlier this week, noting that "without the right protection, hospitals, and the maternity wards within them, can become active transmission sites."
During her appearance on Here & Now, Stark called for additional resources to address the outbreak, noting that the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, was significantly defunded under the Trump administration and had previously supported efforts to address both GBV and health education.
Kirsten Krueger contributed to the editing of this article.
CG heard from 4 co-authors of a study that suggests abortion medications could one day meet the criteria for FDA approval as over-the-counter products. Emma Hernández of We Testify even shares a personal story showing how OTC pills could improve access to reproductive care and autonomy amid storms.
"By requiring a gender analysis in our climate plans, we can better understand who is most at risk and ensure our policies protect those who are too often overlooked," State Senator Steve Padilla of San Diego said in a press release announcing the measure.
The drag performer and environmental activist, whose non-performance name is Wyn Wiley, created the drag persona back in 2018.
![Global outbreaks are another climate-linked driver of violence against women and girls — but "we know how to keep [them] safe"](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1584931423298-c576fda54bd2?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fG91dGJyZWFrc3xlbnwwfHx8fDE3Nzk0NzY2NzN8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=30)
"We know how to keep women and girls safe in outbreak situations," Lindsay Stark, Co-Director of the Center for Violence and Injury Prevention at Washington University, told CG. "We simply need the political buy-in and financial resources to ensure we do not repeat the mistakes of past responses."
