As discussions about climate change and our global future have become more common, a new term has been coined to explain the differences in attitudes between women and men when it comes to sustainability.
The “eco gender gap,” discusses why women are more likely to be environmentally conscious than men. Apparently, 71 per cent of women alter their behaviours in favour of more sustainable actions, in comparison to 59 per cent of men. Studies have offered explanations for this disconnect between the genders, citing everything from “personality differences”, to women being more caring and focused on the future, to men seeing sustainability as too feminine.
However, as a young woman who grew up in the Fraser Valley with a father in the trades, I have a different opinion. Throughout my life, my family has relied on money from the Alberta oil fields to survive. My extended family has been dairy farming in Chilliwack for over 70 years. As talks of climate change and sustainability movements have circled through our family rumour mill, I have heard a lot of very vocal opinions on what actions should be taken.
For my family, sustainability is something that could potentially destroy both our history and our wallets as fossil fuels are phased out and meatless lifestyles are adopted. While these actions are not negative, they do have dire consequences for people working or supported by agriculture or tradespeople. Since these actions are so diametrically opposed to the livelihoods of many people, especially men, it makes sense that there is a corresponding gap in climate activism.
Whenever I hear about sustainability with regards to trades and farming, they usually demonise those caught in the crosshairs of capitalism and call for radical changes to “the system.” In these situations, people seem to forget the struggles of others whose entire lives are supported by and revolve around “the system.”
The entire revamping of many trades, as well as a complete overhaul of the farming industry — which is currently far from carbon neutral — would be required to bring about the kind of change we need. Most skilled trades rely on fossil fuels in some way or another, but they are also vital to the building and upkeep of our homes, cities, and transportation systems. In fact, these trades are already facing huge issues with a lack of skilled workers coming in, which is only being exacerbated by the possibility of losing your job when climate change solutions render your trade obsolete. It is key to modern industry that we include men, but especially men in trades, in the discussions we all should be having about climate change.
To get a different perspective on the “eco gender gap,” The Cascade interviewed UFV associate professor of political science, Dr. Jessica Price. Price mentioned that women are being marketed to make sustainable purchases, whether that comes in the form of eco-friendly period products or makeup in glass bottles instead of plastic.
Men are just not as frequent of consumers, so all the money for marketing sustainable and eco-friendly products ends up feminising it, which further disregards men from being included in conversations of sustainable living. While I agree with this aspect of the “eco gender gap,” I think the discussion needs to be taken a step further. Just as people working in agriculture or in the skilled trades need to be included in discussions about climate change and how it will affect them, men as a whole need to be included in discussions about how we can all make better and more eco-friendly purchases in the future, no matter what demographic we fall into.
As women, we hold many roles, from caregiver, to support network, to unpaid labourer. It is important to recognize the massive role that women have been quietly playing in the background of climate activism as well as on the front lines, both by making sustainable choices for their families and rallying for better solutions. However, we also need to recognize that men are being left behind in discussions on the future of our planet because of inane assumptions about why they are not already climate-conscious. Climate change is a global problem, and we need everyone to be able to help fix it. To do so, we must understand all of the ways that climate change will affect us all, while also realising that many potential solutions cause their own calamities with regards to people’s livelihoods and identities.
Allison is starting her BA in English with a minor in Criminology to become a publishing contract lawyer. In her spare time, she watches way too many true crime shows and reads a lot of Y.A. fiction, while slugging along on various articles.
