Bill Overview
Title: Women and Climate Change Act of 2022
Description: This bill addresses climate change and its effects on women and girls. Specifically, the bill establishes the Federal Interagency Working Group on Women and Climate Change within the Department of State. The bill outlines the functions of the working group, including the coordination of agencies' policies and activities relating to combating the effects of climate change on women and improving the government's response to and strategy for climate change. In addition, the Office of Global Women's Issues of the State Department must submit a strategy to prevent and respond to the effects of climate change on women.
Sponsors: Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
Target Audience
Population: Women and girls affected by climate change
Estimated Size: 166000000
- Climate change impacts entire populations, but women and girls in vulnerable regions are disproportionately affected due to socioeconomic factors and gender inequality.
- The bill targets women's specific issues related to climate change, such as access to resources, women's health, and disaster-related vulnerability.
- Globally, there are approximately 3.9 billion females, suggesting a broad global target group.
Reasoning
- The target population is notably large, with approximately 166 million women in the U.S. potentially affected. However, many may only experience a low direct impact as the policy's immediate effects will depend on implementation in specific regions and sectors.
- Given the budget constraints, immediate impacts are likely more significant in areas already facing climate-related challenges, such as coastal or rural regions more prone to climate events like hurricanes and floods.
- The policy is designed to address disparate impacts on women, especially those related to health and resource accessibility, which could yield wellbeing improvements over time, but may be low initially due to resource allocation and strategic planning phase.
Simulated Interviews
Teacher (Miami, FL)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I worry about hurricanes every year, so anything that focuses more on how climate change affects us, especially women, is a good step.
- I hope this policy means more practical help, like better flood warnings and support for schools affected by storms.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 6 |
Environmental Scientist (Houston, TX)
Age: 47 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy is crucial for integrating gender-specific data in climate strategy and response.
- I'm hopeful it leads to tangible outcomes, especially in funding women's initiatives in crisis response.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 10 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 10 | 7 |
Software Engineer (New York, NY)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm glad to see the focus on women and climate change, but I don't see immediate personal impact.
- I think the policy might inspire tech solutions for climate change that could involve more women.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Student (Rural Alabama)
Age: 19 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm concerned about how climate change impacts farming communities like mine, especially on women.
- Hopefully, the policy will bring support and resources to these areas sooner rather than later.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 6 |
Tech Entrepreneur (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 52 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 9
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The initiative is an excellent step to get more women involved in climate tech developments.
- This could bolster innovation and empower women, providing substantial long-term benefits.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 5 | 10 | 9 |
| Year 10 | 10 | 9 |
| Year 20 | 10 | 9 |
City Planner (Seattle, WA)
Age: 39 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Integrated approaches are vital, and this policy is a step towards better urban planning sensitivity to gender issues.
- It should help in strategic mitigation strategies that consider women-specific vulnerabilities.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Retired (New Orleans, LA)
Age: 61 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've seen firsthand the need for such policies; our community has been repeatedly hit.
- I hope this policy leads to more robust support systems for affected women.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 5 |
Grad Student (Chicago, IL)
Age: 25 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- My worry is that the positive impacts may take a long time to materialize given constraints.
- I believe it's essential to address these disparities now before they worsen.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Nurse (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Health impacts due to climate change are significant in low-income areas, specifically for women
- I see this policy as a positive move, but worry about how much change it will create.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Activist (Boston, MA)
Age: 22 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy resonates with my activism aims, but the real test will be in how it is implemented.
- I am optimistic but cautious, as we've seen similar initiatives stall.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 10 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 10 | 9 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $15000000 (Low: $12000000, High: $18000000)
Year 2: $15500000 (Low: $12500000, High: $18500000)
Year 3: $16000000 (Low: $13000000, High: $19000000)
Year 5: $17000000 (Low: $14000000, High: $20000000)
Year 10: $20000000 (Low: $18000000, High: $22000000)
Year 100: $50000000 (Low: $40000000, High: $60000000)
Key Considerations
- Coordination with international partners might result in shared costs or additional funding opportunities.
- The scale of research and data required for formulating effective strategies could impact cost estimates.
- Potential overlap or integration with existing climate and gender equality initiatives needs to be considered to avoid duplicative spending.