When a team of students from Pasadena’s Polytechnic School embarked on a journey from Texas to Palmdale in a solar-powered car they had built, one student, Julian Harrison, was driven by a passion for racing cars. Kai Herman was motivated by his interest in mechanical engineering. And team captain Aria Wang’s reason for participating? Her desire to help protect the planet. She stated, “My future goal is probably pursuing clean alternative energy sources.” Wang, a 17-year-old climate enthusiast, will be attending Yale University in the fall.
While this is just one anecdote, a growing body of research indicates that females, as a whole, are more concerned about the impacts of climate change compared to males. They are also more inclined to take personal action and support public policies to combat it. In a recent poll by the Public Policy Institute of California, approximately 86% of women surveyed considered addressing global climate change as a top concern or one of their top concerns, whereas just over three-quarters of men felt the same way. However, this gender divide is less pronounced in Southern California, although the poll reveals that local men are still more likely than women to dismiss climate issues as a serious concern. This phenomenon has even earned its own moniker: the “eco gender gap.” Women who are actively involved in climate change issues in Southern California report witnessing this dynamic firsthand.
While some men do lead organizations within the Orange County Climate Coalition, Ayn Craciun, a member of the steering committee, notes that many more are piloted by females. Additionally, several of their most active partner groups, such as the League of Women Voters North OC chapter, are entirely women-focused. Craciun further explains, “Also, most of the elected officials leading on climate policy in OC identify as female.” Statewide, an analysis of the current legislative session reveals that female legislators are slightly more likely than their male colleagues to introduce legislation that addresses climate change. California currently boasts a record-breaking 42% female representation in the state legislature, with 18 females in the state Senate and 32 in the Assembly. These women have authored 44% of the 136 climate-related bills introduced by individuals.
Experts attribute this gender gap to complex underlying factors that do not appear to be narrowing, even among younger generations. They also suggest that the consequences of this gap are far-reaching, affecting aspects such as mental health, reproduction, and climate change itself. The most significant predictor of climate change concern is political affiliation, with Democrats being three times more likely than Republicans to prioritize this issue, according to the recent PPIC survey. However, other nonpartisan factors, such as age, race, education level, and income, also correlate with environmental action support. And the gender gap is as prominent as these factors. In a 2017 paper analyzing numerous related studies, researchers from Pomona College and other institutes found that compared to men, women express greater concern about climate change, possess more objective knowledge about it (although they tend to underestimate their knowledge), and perceive themselves as more vulnerable to its impacts.
These gaps are particularly evident when examining views on specific climate risks and their effects on local communities. For instance, 41% of women surveyed by PPIC expressed significant concerns about rising sea levels, whereas only 25% of men shared the same level of apprehension. Similarly, there was a 14% difference between women and men in terms of serious concerns about flooding and intensifying heat waves. Women also tend to believe that the effects of climate change are already being seen and that they contribute to extreme events like the recent wildfires in California. As a result, 62% of women in the PPIC poll emphasized the importance of passing regulations and allocating funds to mitigate climate change, while just over half of men agreed.
When it comes to engaging in climate advocacy and attending community meetings centered on climate change, it is common to see more women than men, according to State Sen. Catherine Blakespear, who has dedicated her political career to climate issues. While the gender divide is less pronounced compared to meetings about gun violence, which are often about 80% female, Blakespear confirms that women have been successful in securing a seat at the table on climate issues. In her experience, she has encountered more men who deny the existence of climate change compared to women. This observation aligns with data from the PPIC poll, showing that men are more likely to believe that climate change has no impact on their communities and never will.
Jade Sasser, a professor at UC Riverside who teaches a course on gender and climate change, has noticed interesting manifestations of the eco gender gap. In one research project on sustainable shopping habits, Sasser found that male students expressed the same level of interest as female students in purchasing eco-friendly products. However, when it came time to actually shop, the male students were significantly less likely to follow through with purchasing sustainable items. This mismatch between stated values and actions was evident. During interviews for an upcoming book, Sasser discovered that many young women factor climate change into their decision-making about having children. They question whether it is morally justifiable to bring a child into a worsening climate crisis. In contrast, the young men she interviewed, despite sharing similar fears about climate change, did not let those concerns affect their desire to have children. Straight young women often reported that the men they dated wanted to have as many children as possible.
So, where does this eco gender gap originate? While some researchers suggest that women are naturally more empathetic and inclined to consider collective well-being, Sasser argues it is not an inherent personality trait. Instead, she believes the gap is rooted in women’s roles as primary caretakers for children, elderly parents, extended family members, and community members. Women are driven by the desire to protect their loved ones from the adverse effects of climate change. Sasser explains that historically, women have led community-based campaigns focused on environmental justice, seeking to safeguard their children’s health and clean up toxic environments. Climate activism, therefore, is a continuation of this caretaker role.
According to Kim Fortun, an anthropology professor at UC Irvine who specializes in the study of environmental injustice, this caretaker connection becomes evident when organizing community meetings regarding strategies for coping with prolonged power outages in Orange County. This situation highlights the need for reliable and sustainable energy sources to ensure the well-being of those under the care of women.
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