Women bear brunt of South Sudan’s heatwave
Climate change intensifies gendered inequalities amid record-breaking heat
JUBA, South Sudan (MNTV) – Women and girls in South Sudan are disproportionately suffering from the effects of extreme heat, according to a study by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group.
The study analyzed February’s unprecedented heatwave, concluding that human-induced climate change has made such events roughly 10 times more likely and 2°C hotter.
These early-season heatwaves, occurring months before South Sudan’s typically hottest period, are having devastating consequences on vulnerable populations, as reported by Climate Home News.
This year, temperatures reached 45°C, forcing schools in the capital, Juba, to close for weeks after multiple students collapsed from heatstroke.
This marks the second consecutive year of school closures due to extreme heat, disrupting education and disproportionately affecting girls, who face additional barriers in returning to learning.
Women’s traditional roles—such as managing household chores and working in the informal sector—expose them to dangerous heat, increasing risks of heat-related illnesses.
Friederike Otto, WWA’s lead researcher and climate science lecturer at Imperial College London, highlighted that entrenched gender roles and limited alternatives leave women in South Sudan particularly vulnerable during these now-frequent heatwaves.
The study also revealed a rise in miscarriages and stillbirths linked to extreme heat, threatening maternal health in a country already struggling with one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates.
Emmanuel Raju, a co-author from the University of Copenhagen, emphasized how existing social inequities magnify the climate crisis’s toll on women and girls.
WWA researchers noted that the seven-day maximum heat observed this year would have been “extremely unlikely” without the 1.3°C of global warming since pre-industrial times.
Without climate change, the heat would have been around 4°C cooler.
They warned that without urgent action to curb fossil fuel use, heatwaves of this magnitude could become an annual occurrence by 2100, with global warming projected to reach 2.6°C.
Experts urge immediate adaptation measures, such as improving school ventilation, planting trees, light-colored building designs, and adjusting school calendars and class schedules.
They also call for addressing social inequalities that heighten women and girls’ vulnerability to climate change.
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