Unequal contributions to the reproductive sphere become even more fascinating when you dig into the mental gymnastics that take place behind the scenes. A study based in the United States found that, in response to female breadwinners in the home, men tended to experience something called a ‘gender role threat’ whereby they took on even less domestic work in order to preserve their masculinity [19]. Known in psychology as gender congruity theory, men and women tend to engage in behaviours congruent with conventional gender norms in order to maintain social status and avoid social penalties such as exclusion [20]. This dynamic can be further compounded by external shocks like an economic recession, where household duties such as budget management are further thrust upon women since they are perceived to better micromanage scarce resources [21]. 

Gender congruency plays out particularly vividly in the realm of environmentally conscious behaviour. According to research conducted at the University of Pennsylvania, both men and women see caring about the environment as ‘feminine’ due to the nurturing and cooperative traits these actions require [22]. An individual that was recycling or using a reusable canvas bag was described as more feminine, and “unmanly”, regardless of their gender. In another study, threatening a man’s gender identity (i.e., using a pink gift card) resulted in male participants choosing more environmentally-intensive products in efforts to reassert their masculinity [23]. Masculinity is also an enduring barrier to the adoption of plant-based diets [24-26], particularly due to the symbolic links between dominance, meat consumption and the oppression of women [27-28].

Trust, it gets crazier. A study found that feminine-named hurricanes cause significantly more deaths compared to their masculine counterparts. The research shows that gender-congruent perceptions of strength (i.e., men are perceived as stronger) are responsible for feminine-named hurricanes to be seen as lower risk and intensity, consequently leading to less preparedness [29]. Hurricanes with male names were perceived in multiple studies as more intense, eliciting stronger intentions to evacuate. In fact, the subconscious bias was so strong, changing a hurricane’s name from a relatively male to female name was shown to triple the death toll.

Discourse on climate policy is also disturbingly gendered. “Business” framings of the climate change debate, seen as congruent with masculinity, were found to be more appealing to men compared to ethics or justice framings [30]. Further, men employing climate justice policy advocacy were perceived as more likely to be gay and to have feminine traits by both men and women – perceptions that were associated with seeing the ethics-based policy argument as weaker. This is problematic on a number of fronts, particularly since ethics framings challenge and deconstruct the very power structures that conventional business framings reinforce.

The last area of overlap to explore is the concept of consent. The viral #MeToo movement in 2017, catalyzed by Weinstein’s sex offences and Trump’s pussy-grabbing boast, reinvigorated the many horrific injustices taken aim at, against, and within women’s bodies. Taking a wider lens, we can begin to draw provocative connections between predatory sexual violence and violence against the planet [31]. Calls for consent from Indigenous communities across Canada in our nation’s pursuit for an ever-expanding natural resource economy parallel directly with the demands for justice from sexual violence survivors. A growing body of research observes increasing overlap between right-wing nationalism, anti-feminism and climate denialism. In fact, the concept of climate change itself, and the ambitious policies it requires, threatens to completely destabilize the hyper-masculine foundations of industrial modernity [32-33]. 

What does dismantling the capitalist-patriarchy look like? Rather than “leaning in” and inviting women and marginalized others into the masculinized and monetized roles of the productive sphere, we must work collaboratively to deconstruct these systems. Advocating for increased investment and value in reproductive realms including basic incomes, universal childcare, health care and education, and caring practices that sustain and regenerate life. 

The very thoughts, opinions and conversations we have as a global community about appropriate and feasible political responses to the climate crisis are shaped deeply by these pervasive gender biases. Our success in reducing our environmental footprint, just like our success in flattening the COVID-19 curve, is certainly dependent on the individual actions of each and every one of us. But unless we begin to tackle the more systemic and structural forces that perpetuate the impending crises, we cannot succeed. Whether by design or disaster, the global economy will need to slow its forces to align with the physical realities of our limited planet.

Sophia Sanniti is a PhD Candidate in Social and Ecological Sustainability in the University of Waterloo’s School for Environment, Resources and Sustainability. Her research explores the intersections of ecological economics, critical (eco)feminism, and household sustainability.