The Cost of Climate Change Heightened Sexual and Gender-Based Violence: A Challenge for International Law

By 2050 climate change could see 4% of global annual economic output lost to the tune of $23 trillion and may hit many poorer parts of the world disproportionately. Though entire populations are affected by climate change, women and girls suffer the most. In an ominous sign, in some countries, the cost of SGBV is staggering and it accounts for up to 3.7% of the GDP. It is more than double what most of the States spend on education.  Climate change and SGBV cause economic loss for States, societies and families both individually and jointly. Both result in phenomenal economic losses. International law does not yield any international legal instrument that deals with SGBV against women during and after climate change-induced disasters.