Men's stories also deserve attention in order to expand climate justice
What you need to know:
- With every instance of a man taking a person to safety or risking his own life for another, he bears a heavy emotional and physical load.
When talking about climate change and its devastating effects, it’s on record that women have the worst of it during disasters. Images of mothers embracing children as water surrounds them flood our newsfeeds and we feel sympathetic. But there is another story to be told, one which is not well documented.
The unspoken troubles that men face in those very same tragedies. In Kampala, the recent floods did more than just destroy houses, they also hid the often-overlooked struggles of men during climate disasters.
While rains pour and floodwaters wash over communities, the majority of the images have men waist-deep in filthy waters, they are also rescuing children, elderly relatives, and even women from harm. While some are quick to depict them as simply a hustle for easy money, we must look deeper.
Men put their own health at risk, putting themselves in vulnerable positions to infection, harm, and acute stress. They come home soaked, often with little more than a few coins in their pockets yet weighed down by the burden of their experiences.
It is easy to forget that men can also be victims in the narrative of climate disasters. Society expects them to be the strong ones—providers and protectors—but, in truth, they experience profound challenges that deserve our attention.
With every instance of a man taking a person to safety or risking his own life for another, he bears a heavy emotional and physical load. The weight of worrying about their families while they cross waters fraught with danger is a reality that they must confront every day. This is a call to broaden the discussion of climate justice.
While women's issues must remain a top priority, we cannot forget about the little-known struggles that men endure too. They too are worthy of our empathy and sympathy. Giving attention to their cause will allow us to develop a more complete understanding of the impacts of climate change and how it affects different people.
When we consider climate justice, we are reminded of the numerous women who toil day and night to earn enough to sustain their families. We are moved and inspired by their strength, yet many men also suffer in hidden ways, with the weight of having to maintain the pretence of being strong and combat their own fears.
The burden of being strong is immense, making them feel that they cannot show weakness. This silence can lead to severe mental illness, and this cycle of suffering goes unspoken. Men are socialised to be strong and self-reliant in the majority of cultures. They feel they must take care of their families even at the risk of disaster.
This deeply held expectation keeps them from openly revealing their fears and vulnerabilities. As they navigate dangerous floodwaters, their minds are filled with anxiety: "What will I bring home to my family?". This cultural assumption makes it necessary to think about these men not only as protectors but as men who have burdens of their own. As a society, we must make room for these stories.
Men's stories in the face of climate tragedies must be heard and understood. Their battles when recounted will make us better equipped to understand and create communities where both men and women can speak about their issues freely so that more effective support systems can be created for everyone. While we cannot reverse the impacts of climate change overnight, we can start to change the conversation around it.
By engaging men's voices in climate justice conversations, we can create a more balanced understanding that is respectful of the realities of all those impacted. That is by creating mental health services, counselling networks, and community programmes that are sensitive and responsive to men's particular needs during these challenging times.
In short, we must have everybody on the journey of climate justice, including listening to men's silent battles. We must speak about men's stories too. Their realities are just as authentic and legitimate as those of women and by listening to their voices, we are constructing a healthier, more unified community.
Let us open our hearts and mind to all of these stories together towards a future that is just and equitable for all without regard to gender.
Abisagi Nalwadda, Makerere University,
