GENDER VULNERABILITY INDEX AND CLIMATE LINKAGES IN MOLDOVA

Abstract

Gender equality is a pressing issue on the agenda of many countries. Climate change is a global problem that cannot be solved without joint efforts. In Moldova, the problem of climate change is particularly acute, as the country is agrarian. Over the past six years, every second year, due to climate cataclysms, the volume of agricultural production has fallen. First of all, crop production volumes declined by an average of 30% in 2020, 2022, and 2024. On the other hand, Moldova strives to mitigate gender inequality, which manifests itself in various spheres of life (economy, health care, participation in decision-making bodies). This study tests the hypothesis about the impact of climate change on gender vulnerability. The authors suggest that in Moldova, climate change is exacerbating existing gender vulnerability, widening gender gaps in income, employment, poverty, and political participation. The research methodology is based on correlation analysis of publicly available data from the National Bureau of Statistics. The novelty of this study lies in the development of the Gender Vulnerability Index (GVI), consisting of six sub-indices that reflect the gender gap in income, employment, absolute poverty level, life expectancy at birth, representation in Parliament, and ministerial positions. The results of the study showed that there is a statistically significant relationship between climate change and the level of gender vulnerability. Gender gaps in employment and income exert the most significant impact on the GVI. These two indicators reflect women’s limited opportunities in the labor market and wages compared to men, and their value has been higher in the last five years than in the previous period. The developed equations of multiple linear regression not only confirmed the proposed hypothesis but also proved that to mitigate gender vulnerability, it is necessary to promote strategies and programs aimed at reducing female unemployment and increasing the level of women’s education.