Climate Change Has a Gender: The Impact on Women’s Health

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Ms. Konstantina Chronake, a 4th-year medical student at the University of Crete in Heraklion, Greece. She is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

Climate change is no longer only an environmental issue. It is present in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we consume, affecting our health, both physical and mental.

But have you ever considered that climate change can affect women’s health in many ways? Have you ever asked yourself what it means to be a woman in this era of climate change?

Well, I am asking you to consider it now. What is it like to be a woman of low- to middle-income in a country that does not provide you with the necessities you need to keep your health and yourself going?

We do know that this situation is affecting women’s health, yet what we do know best is to look the other way.

As a medical student, I would like to highlight some of the challenges that women are forced to face simply because the climate has changed “a little”, challenges that, as the next generation of healthcare professionals, we will inevitably be called to confront.

I referred to low- and middle-income women because this is where the system reveals its deepest flaws. Imagine a woman in Sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia, where the impact is often more severe, trying to maintain her health and well-being and failing. Why?

Is it because the healthcare system is inadequate? Or because, in many cases, the way society is structured places her needs last? Too often, being a woman means being placed beneath everything else and being left more exposed, more vulnerable, and with fewer resources to cope.

Climate change is recognized as a threat to women’s sexual and reproductive health, with consequences that extend to neonatal and child health.

Air pollution has been associated with reduced fertility and live birth rates, as well as increased risks of miscarriage, preterm birth, and low birth weight. Rising temperatures further worsen these outcomes and have also been linked to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and congenital anomalies.

Extreme weather events, such as floods, can severely disrupt daily life and make access to healthcare difficult when it is needed most. As a result, menstrual irregularities, infections, pregnancy complications, and even malnutrition may occur. At the same time, the psychological burden cannot be ignored. Losing one’s home, safety, and sense of stability after such events is strongly associated with depression and post-traumatic stress.

Finally, climate-sensitive, vector‐borne diseases, including malaria and Zika virus, pose an additional and growing threat to women’s and maternal health.

Now, we have discussed the facts. The question remains: are we ready for this healthcare challenge? This is not a problem for future generations; it is already unfolding before our eyes. As future doctors, will we rise to meet this challenge, or will we continue to ignore it? And we must be aware that this challenge is not ending today, nor in the near future. The responsibility lies with us, and the future of healthcare is in our hands.

About the author

Konstantina Chronake is a 4th-year medical student at the University of Crete in Heraklion, Greece.