On the recordMarch 8, 2022
I rise today to introduce the Women and Climate Change Act of 2022. This bill affirms the U.S. commitment to supporting a group of people who are most often negatively impacted by climate change, yet too often left out of decisionmaking and policy development--women. The bill creates a Federal interagency working group, established by the Department of State, that will collect data and develop policies and strategies to address the effects of climate change on women both at home and abroad. Communities all across the United States and the world are currently feeling the impacts of climate change. The time to empower women to respond to this crisis is now. As we commemorate International Women's Day today, we are reminded of the important roles that women play in communities across the world and seize this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to working towards equity. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCC, highlights that the majority of the world's poor is made up of women who rely on natural resources in their daily lives and are least likely to be able to respond to extreme weather events. These women disproportionately face the brunt of climate change impacts, yet too often have little power or say over how they, their families, and their communities are able to combat climate change.…
