PHNOM PENH, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's first Gender and Environment Survey revealed high exposure to environmental and climate change hazards, and the different impacts faced by women compared to men, said a UN Women's press release on Thursday.
Rolled out in 2024, the survey found that almost nine in 10 people lived in areas of high environmental risk and 99 percent experienced at least one disaster in the past 12 months, the press release said.
"Rural women and those displaced by disasters or other climate hazards are more likely to experience barriers to accessing medical health and hygiene products," it said, adding that 19 percent of displaced women experienced challenges, compared to 13 percent of non-displaced people overall.
"More women than men increased their unpaid childcare work due to disasters (26 percent compared to 22 percent)," the press release said.
It added that climate change is hurting physical and mental health.
"As many as 77 percent of Cambodians have seen their mental health worsen as a result of slow-onset climate hazards, with women more likely than men to report stress and anxiety," the press release said.
"Physical health impacts were also widespread, affecting nearly half of women (48 percent) and men (45 percent)," it added.
Sara Duerto Valero, regional gender statistics advisor for UN Women in Asia and the Pacific, said the findings highlighted the urgent need to put a gender lens at the center of environmental policy.
"Cambodia has set an outstanding example by taking the first and most important step, collecting quality gender data to understand the issue," she said. ■