Policy document
FIGIJ Advocacy Statement on Climate Change.
Marnie Slonim, Judith Simms-Cendan, Angela Aguilar, Anastasia Vatapoulou, Ellen Rome et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This is an advocacy statement from FIGIJ (an international organization focused on girls' reproductive health) asserting that climate change poses a health emergency for children and adolescents, with particular risks to girls' sexual and reproductive health. The statement links climate impacts—such as temperature increases, extreme weather, and resource scarcity—to health outcomes including altered menstrual patterns, reduced fertility, malnutrition, educational disruption, child marriage, and gender-based violence. The organization calls for coordinated action between governments, health systems, and communities to address climate change as a child health priority.
Key points
- Climate change disproportionately threatens children and adolescents, with girls facing heightened vulnerability
- Climate impacts affect sexual and reproductive health through altered menarche timing, worsened dysmenorrhea, subfertility risks, and pregnancy complications
- Climate-related instability contributes to malnutrition, education disruption, child marriage, displacement, and gender-based violence
- FIGIJ calls for strong coalitions between governments, health care systems, and communities for climate advocacy
- Protecting children requires coordinated efforts and commitment to building a more resilient and equitable future
Limitations
This is an advocacy statement rather than an empirical study, so it presents claims and priorities rather than original research evidence. It does not provide data on the scale, severity, or causal mechanisms of climate impacts on children's well-being in specific contexts.
Abstract
Climate change is an escalating global crisis that disproportionately threatens the health and rights of children and adolescents, with girls facing particularly heightened vulnerability. Increasing temperatures, extreme weather events, food and water insecurity, and exposure to environmental toxins directly and indirectly affect sexual and reproductive health. These impacts include altered timing of menarche, worsened dysmenorrhea, increased risks of subfertility and pregnancy complications, and reduced access to essential reproductive health services. Broader climate-related instability further contributes to malnutrition, disruption of education, child marriage, displacement, and gender-based violence, compounding longstanding gender, socioeconomic, and geographic inequities. FIGIJ affirms climate change as a health emergency and aligns itself with international efforts calling for urgent, coordinated action. FIGIJ supports the development of strong coalitions between governments, health care systems, and communities to amplify the health care sector's voice in global and regional climate advocacy. Protecting the next generation requires coordinated efforts, effective collaboration, and an ongoing commitment to supporting a healthier, more resilient and equitable future.