Prolonged droughts linked to rise in sexual violence against women in poor nations: study
Researchers, including those from Curtin University, Australia, said the findings emphasise how climate change can have a negative impact on women who have to travel long distances for water, are sometimes forced to migrate for resources and are encouraged to marry early as a downstream effect.
The study, published in the journal PLOS Global Public Health, analysed survey responses of over 35,000 women, aged 13-24, from across 14 countries in south America, sub-saharan Africa and southeast Asia. Data for the 'Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys' was collected during 2013-2019.
"The analysis revealed that exposure to prolonged and extreme drought, lasting 8-43 months in a 48-month period (four years), was associated with higher odds of sexual violence," the authors wrote. "Very dry periods are also associated with increased odds of experiencing sexual violence," they said.
Evidence emerging from previous studies have suggested a relation between extreme weather events and an increase in domestic violence. An October 2024 study, published in the journal PLOS Climate, analysed national level data of 156 countries and found that extreme weather events, such as storms, landslides and floods, can increase intimate partner violence over the two years following the events.
This study is the first to provide a population-level analysis specifically of sexual violence against young women and girl teenagers, the authors said. They added that rural communities in low- and middle-income countries are especially vulnerable to environment-related stress, as droughts can impact livelihoods and resources.
This can increase risk of sexual violence because of having to rely on distant water sources, requiring migration and encouraging early marriages to preserve scant household resources, the team said.
Citing a qualitative study conducted in Indonesia and Peru, the authors said that the women participants also categorise the extreme burdens due to water insecurity as a form of violence, which can result in adverse sexual and reproductive health. The team looked at individuals with and without a partner, thereby broadening the scope to understand how droughts can increase violence outside of intimate relationships, they said.
"These results underscore the need for comprehensive strategies that address drought's immediate environmental and economic impacts and the broader social and health consequences," the authors wrote.
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