A new report points to floods, droughts, storms, and extreme heat as risk factors for gender-based violence, child marriage, and unintended pregnancy among girls and young women in low- and middle-income countries. Plan Intnl. CEO Reena Ghelani has a message for those in high-income countries too.
CG spoke with advocates in Washington State and Hawai'i about the impacts of fires and floods on DV survivors and what's needed to stand up for them — from personalized solutions to direct cash assistance and the integration of violence prevention into emergency response that could become U.S. law.
"What will we do with pads if we don't have underwear?" Yogita Tamang asked AFP regarding a lack of period supplies in Nepal's relief camps. The U.N. has warned that risks of gender-based violence, sexual exploitation, and unmet reproductive health care needs have risen following the Aug. 26 floods.
"Historically, females have been underrepresented in thermoregulation research," postdoctoral fellow Hannah Blount told CG. Her work to address knowledge gaps in teens' sweat patterns is set to prove even more critical as temperatures rise — and could help improve sports bras and other activewear.
Are mothers' lives at risk due to smoke exposure? Are pregnancy outcomes? Should IVF be delayed? Is sperm affected? CG spoke with Amy Padula, a professor at UC San Francisco and the Acting Director of the Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, about these and other potential impacts.
"Everywhere is blacked out," photographer Taiwo Aina-Adeokun told CG via Zoom about the smoky conditions she observed in kitchen settings — spaces to which her identity as a female photojournalist helped gain her access, she said. "At the fish smoking area, her eyes were always watery."
"Pollution and climate shifts make the regular stressors more extreme and add new stressors," Jamie DeWitt, a study co-author and Director of the Pacific Northwest Center for Translational Environmental Health Research at Oregon State University, told CG.
"We're excited about this," Ravi Thadhani, study lead author and Chief Medical Officer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, told Scientific American.
"We expect a response by May 5, 2026," U.S. Senator Ron Wyden wrote in a letter to Lee Zeldin, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Researcher Sherri Mason told National Public Radio that the move to monitor substances like microplastics in drinking water is "an important first step." Earthjustice attorney Katherine O'Brien told the outlet the effort is "a distraction."
Lize Barclay, Senior Lecturer in Futures Studies and Systems Thinking at Stellenbosch Business School in South Africa, told CG about how data center expansion in the region has the potential to further burden women and girls already disproportionately tasked with water collection.
Some groups have raised concerns that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, may be used in the cooling process and later flushed into wastewater systems. Exposure to some "forever chemicals" has been linked with serious conditions, including certain reproductive health issues.
A new report points to floods, droughts, storms, and extreme heat as risk factors for gender-based violence, child marriage, and unintended pregnancy among girls and young women in low- and middle-income countries. Plan Intnl. CEO Reena Ghelani has a message for those in high-income countries too.
"What will we do with pads if we don't have underwear?" Yogita Tamang asked AFP regarding a lack of period supplies in Nepal's relief camps. The U.N. has warned that risks of gender-based violence, sexual exploitation, and unmet reproductive health care needs have risen following the Aug. 26 floods.
"Reported user feedback includes easier insertion, less dryness on removal, and strong overall comfort," Vyld co-founder Melanie Schichan told CG.
"Discussions have been held on strengthening and expanding emergency response packages ... and DoDMA has been very supportive of more comprehensive, gender-responsive approaches to disaster recovery," Pamela Kuwali of CARE Malawi told CG.
A new report points to floods, droughts, storms, and extreme heat as risk factors for gender-based violence, child marriage, and unintended pregnancy among girls and young women in low- and middle-income countries. Plan Intnl. CEO Reena Ghelani has a message for those in high-income countries too.
Are mothers' lives at risk due to smoke exposure? Are pregnancy outcomes? Should IVF be delayed? Is sperm affected? CG spoke with Amy Padula, a professor at UC San Francisco and the Acting Director of the Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, about these and other potential impacts.
"Incineration inevitably has an impact on the environment," Selma Benkhelifa of Progress Lawyers Network told CG about the U.S. government's previous plan to burn a cache of contraceptives instead of distributing them. "But the worst thing is depriving millions of women of access to contraception."
"This research project would not have happened had we not had buy-in and trust from the farmers we worked with," Emily Selland told CG about an effort in Senegal that showed integration of native fish into watery rice fields might curb schistosomiasis risks, which may be affected by climate shifts.
"Being a queer [or] trans activist and an environmental activist puts you in a greater sense of danger because both agendas are heavily under attack," Diego De Leon, Advocacy Chair at Out for Sustainability, told CG.
"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 introduction of California Senate Bill 10.
The drag performer and environmental activist, whose non-performance name is Wyn Wiley, created the drag persona back in 2018.
Mike Bonanza of Elevated Access told CG that the situation could "result in more referrals" to his flight-based organization, even as plane fuel is set to be impacted as well. Volunteer pilots with the nonprofit transport patients to abortion and gender-affirming care at no cost to passengers.
CG spoke with self-described climate refugee Margaret Reynolds and coalition co-founder Leslie Wolf about the effort to save an L&D unit amid a rash of maternity care closures across Maine & the country — & amid intensifying weather that can snarl travel to health centers farther and farther away.
Are mothers' lives at risk due to smoke exposure? Are pregnancy outcomes? Should IVF be delayed? Is sperm affected? CG spoke with Amy Padula, a professor at UC San Francisco and the Acting Director of the Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, about these and other potential impacts.
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 research involved trial participants in Pakistan, India, Kenya, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Guatemala.
"This research project would not have happened had we not had buy-in and trust from the farmers we worked with," Emily Selland told CG about an effort in Senegal that showed integration of native fish into watery rice fields might curb schistosomiasis risks, which may be affected by climate shifts.
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.
![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."
"Just because the RNA is present doesn't mean that that individual is actively infectious," David Safronetz of the Public Health Agency of Canada told Scientific American. Still, the CDC has encouraged people to "[avoid] kissing and sexual contact with someone who may have Andes virus."
"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."
"We have no choice but to transfer the costs right now to the customers," Goh Miah Kiat, Chief Executive Officer of Karex, told Reuters.
Mike Bonanza of Elevated Access told CG that the situation could "result in more referrals" to his flight-based organization, even as plane fuel is set to be impacted as well. Volunteer pilots with the nonprofit transport patients to abortion and gender-affirming care at no cost to passengers.
"When fuel and other prices rise, social inequality increases, women and feminized people take on additional work, facing increased demands for unpaid care work and suffering the negative impacts on their access to fuel, food, transport, and housing," Tara Povey of the Bretton Woods Project told CG.
"The goal is for the [seed savers] to have good forage for their cattle but also earn income from selling the forage and native seeds," Nai-nancy Laizer of Savannas Forever Tanzania told CG. "So it addresses the effects of climate but also generates income to these communities."
"This research project would not have happened had we not had buy-in and trust from the farmers we worked with," Emily Selland told CG about an effort in Senegal that showed integration of native fish into watery rice fields might curb schistosomiasis risks, which may be affected by climate shifts.
"Reported user feedback includes easier insertion, less dryness on removal, and strong overall comfort," Vyld co-founder Melanie Schichan told CG.
"The goal is to better understand how systematic the relationship between sugarcane cultivation, child marriage, and hysterectomies is in India's Western Sugarcane Belt," Eliana La Ferrara and Aditi Bhowmick told CG. "Our findings suggest a substantial, persistent, and robust relationship..."
"The goal is for the [seed savers] to have good forage for their cattle but also earn income from selling the forage and native seeds," Nai-nancy Laizer of Savannas Forever Tanzania told CG. "So it addresses the effects of climate but also generates income to these communities."
"While every family is different, mothers are disproportionately the default parent, meaning climate disruptions can add to the mental load, logistical challenges, and economic pressures many women already face," Laura Schifter, a Senior Fellow at the D.C.-based Aspen Institute, told CG.
"Reported user feedback includes easier insertion, less dryness on removal, and strong overall comfort," Vyld co-founder Melanie Schichan told CG.
"We will keep marching on and we will continue to do our best for our communities that remain at risk," Lisa Emery, Director of the New River Health Breathing Center and Black Lung Clinic, told West Virginia Watch.
"We are facing severe physical distress during exam season," the petition reportedly read.
"Key measures include elevating foundations above expected flood levels, using stronger and water-resistant construction materials, reinforcing walls and roofing structures, and ensuring proper site selection away from high-risk zones," according to the organization.
Efforts to improve the resilience of mud-built homes are set to become increasingly critical as rising global temperatures fuel extreme weather.
Floods that impacted the all-girls camp in Texas hill country resulted in the deaths of 25 campers, two teenage camp counselors, and the camp's director, along with over 100 other people in the area.
"We will keep marching on and we will continue to do our best for our communities that remain at risk," Lisa Emery, Director of the New River Health Breathing Center and Black Lung Clinic, told West Virginia Watch.
"It’s hard to imagine the people I met who rely on U.S. drugs for their survival suddenly cut off," New York Times reporter Stephanie Nolen wrote of her recent trip to the northwest region of Zambia in a comment online.
Coltan is used in many modern devices, including electric vehicles, and is seen as key to the clean energy transition.
The Biden administration had estimated that more than 1,000 deaths and 3,700 cases of black lung could be prevented by implementing its rule in the U.S. Miners want to see its promise realized.
"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 introduction of California Senate Bill 10.
The drag performer and environmental activist, whose non-performance name is Wyn Wiley, created the drag persona back in 2018.
Reproductive rights advocates in the U.S. stress that another type of medication abortion should still be accessible via telehealth even in the event of a ruling against the virtual prescription and mail delivery of mifepristone.
"We expect a response by May 5, 2026," U.S. Senator Ron Wyden wrote in a letter to Lee Zeldin, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
"Historically, females have been underrepresented in thermoregulation research," postdoctoral fellow Hannah Blount told CG. Her work to address knowledge gaps in teens' sweat patterns is set to prove even more critical as temperatures rise — and could help improve sports bras and other activewear.
"Everywhere is blacked out," photographer Taiwo Aina-Adeokun told CG via Zoom about the smoky conditions she observed in kitchen settings — spaces to which her identity as a female photojournalist helped gain her access, she said. "At the fish smoking area, her eyes were always watery."
The drag performer and environmental activist, whose non-performance name is Wyn Wiley, created the drag persona back in 2018.
"The Hotline ... [stands] out because it focuses not only on generating awareness, but on helping people make practical, evidence-informed decisions in real time — which is exactly what frontline providers and communities need right now," Neha Mankani, a Co-Chair of the project, told CG.
