Climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation are dramatically reshaping the lives of women, girls, and their communities, increasingly putting at risk their food and personal security, their livelihoods, and health.

On World Environment Day (June 5), UN Women calls on governments, partners, and communities to act with urgency on the interdependent issues of climate action and gender equality. Progress on one depends on progress on the other.

Those with the fewest resources are affected first and worst by intensified droughts or floods, failed crops, scarce or contaminated water, and other climate-related shocks. UN Women analysis shows that such shocks are associated with increased rates of child marriage, while rising temperatures are linked to higher risks of premature births and stillbirths.