Stephens, Jennie C. and O’Connor, Orla (2025) Gender equity and care for transformative climate justice. Administration, 73 (2). pp. 161-178. ISSN 2449-9471
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Abstract
As global climate change is destabilising lives and worsening inequities
and disparities in Ireland and around the world (Deubelli & Mechler,
2021; Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2022), climate
justice is emerging as an urgent global policy priority (Kashwan, 2021;
Newell et al., 2021; Robinson, 2018). Climate justice, an approach to
climate action that goes beyond the technological emphasis on
decarbonisation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, focuses
attention on the intersectionality of the social, economic, and
institutional changes that link technological change with societal
transformation by centring social justice and economic equity
(Stephens, 2022; Sultana, 2022). Transformative climate justice
recognises that the climate crisis is a horrible symptom of extractive
and exploitative systems (Sultana, 2025). A transformative climate
justice approach calls for systemic and structural changes
acknowledging that the climate crisis is not a scientific problem that can be fixed with technological solutions (Newell et al., 2021).
Transformative climate justice also links climate vulnerabilities with
the societal risks and geopolitical dangers associated with increased
social instability, migration and growing inequities (Harlan et al., 2015;
Stephens, 2020).
Transformative climate justice embraces a feminist and decolonial
approach to redressing the legacy of economic injustices, gender
inequities, extractive labour practices, housing insecurity and systems
of exploitation that are worsening climate vulnerabilities (Kuhl et al.,
2024; Sultana, 2025). Climate justice prioritises trans formative
economic investments, social policies and innovative practices that are
based on human dignity, equity and care. Climate justice is intentional
and explicit on the necessity to disrupt the status quo financial and
political systems that continue to marginalise people and communities
by concentrating wealth and power among those individuals and
organisations that are already privileged (Newell et al., 2021;
Schapper, 2018; Sultana, 2022; Whitaker, 2021). The rapidly growing
global climate justice movement, based on feminist principles, has
been, and continues to be, led by women (Robinson, 2018).
Patriarchal systems have reinforced and perpetuated the
assumption that investing in technological innovation will enable
humanity to control the climate, while minimising the potential of
investing in social innovation, social justice and social change.
Transformative change requires a collective moving away from these
dominant patriarchal discourses toward a feminist and intersectional
perspective that integrates care and gender equality.
This paper reviews why a feminist climate justice approach focused
on gender equity and care is essential for the transformative societal
changes that are urgently needed for a more healthy, just and stable
future for all. The paper first describes why and how feminist climate
justice is a necessary response to climate isolationism. Then, it
describes why the integration of care and gender equity into climate
policy is fundamental and how care is a feminist concern. Next,
examples of intersections of care and climate within the Irish context
are provided, followed by a concluding discussion on moving toward
transformative climate justice.
Item Type: | Article |
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Keywords: | transformative; climate; justice; |
Academic Unit: | Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Institutes > Irish Climate Analysis and Research Units, ICARUS |
Item ID: | 20161 |
Identification Number: | 10.2478/admin-2025-0014 |
Depositing User: | Corinne Voces |
Date Deposited: | 04 Jul 2025 11:24 |
Journal or Publication Title: | Administration |
Publisher: | Sciendo |
Refereed: | Yes |
Related URLs: | |
URI: | https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/id/eprint/20161 |
Use Licence: | This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here |
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