Extreme climate events, including severe floods, prolonged droughts and intense heatwaves, are destabilising the lives of millions of girls and young women across the globe, according to a major report by the non-governmental organisation Plan International.
The findings are detailed in the organization's annual publication, titled The State of the World's Girls 2026. The study relies on direct survey data gathered from more than 5,000 girls and young women between the ages of 15 and 24 living in nations such as Bangladesh, Kenya, Peru, Senegal and Zimbabwe, as well as an analysis of historical data collected across 52 countries over the past three decades.
Plan International reported that environmental catastrophes frequently collapse local health systems, interrupt education and dismantle child protection networks. Consequently, young females face dramatically increased risks of gender-based violence, forced child marriage and unplanned pregnancies while seeing their personal choices and future opportunities restricted.
The daily impact of these disasters is widespread across affected communities. Nine out of 10 girls surveyed stated that extreme climate events exerted severe pressure on the survival, overall health and economic stability of their families.
Disruption of Sexual and Reproductive Health Services
The study reveals that essential sexual and reproductive health services are routinely overlooked during emergency planning and climate response efforts. Overall, 76 percent of respondents reported that girls and young women in their communities struggled to gain access to at least one vital sexual or reproductive healthcare service during or after environmental disasters.
Basic hygiene and healthcare infrastructure often break down entirely during severe weather events. Half of all respondents stated that young women faced significant hurdles acquiring menstrual products or securing clean water required for proper menstrual hygiene management.
Across disaster-affected zones, young women encountered persistent difficulties obtaining contraceptive methods, maternal care, menstrual health support, psychological counselling and other critical health services. In one highlighted instance from 2017, numerous pregnant women were forced to give birth at home because medical services were entirely absent, as attempting to cross swollen local streams put both the mothers and their unborn children at risk of death.
Plan International, established in 1937, operates as an independent humanitarian and development organisation focused on advancing children's rights and equality for girls in more than 75 countries. Global healthcare guidelines established by international agencies emphasize that maternal care and reproductive health provisions are essential human rights during emergency relief operations.
Economic Shock Drives Spikes in Child Marriage
When extreme weather destroys agricultural land and family livelihoods, young women are increasingly pushed into premature and forced marriages. Across all surveyed countries, 36 percent of participants reported observing a rise in child marriages or early unions within their communities following climate disasters.
Furthermore, 11 percent of all girls interviewed disclosed that they had personally been married before reaching 18 years of age. In regions hardest hit by severe drought, the perceived surge in child marriage escalated sharply to 60 percent, as families utilized early marriage as a desperate financial strategy to reduce the number of household members needing food or to secure a traditional dowry payment.
School closures during climate crises significantly heighten these vulnerabilities. The report notes that girls whose education is interrupted by environmental disasters are twice as likely to marry before age 18 or experience an unplanned pregnancy compared to those who remain in school.
The surveyed countries span several vulnerable geographic regions, including monsoon-prone river deltas in South Asia, arid sub-Saharan drought corridors in East, West and Southern Africa, and coastal and mountain zones in South America. In rural agrarian communities across these regions, severe weather events eliminate agricultural income, leaving families dependent on severe coping mechanisms.
Escalating Gender Violence and Service Collapses
Financial desperation and social breakdown caused by climate disasters also trigger elevated levels of gender-based violence. The report indicates that 28 percent of participants observed an increase in violence against girls and women during environmental crises.
The rate of reported gender-based violence rose dramatically in specific vulnerable settings, reaching 48 percent in drought-stricken regions and peaking at 60 percent in Zimbabwe. A key factor driving this trend was economic exploitation, with 66 percent of participants stating that increased sexual exploitation in exchange for money, food or essential supplies contributed directly to the rise in violence.
At the same time, support systems designed to protect vulnerable populations frequently failed. One-quarter of respondents (24 percent) reported that violence prevention and emergency response services became completely inaccessible or failed entirely following environmental disasters.
Disasters also exacerbated existing social and geographic inequalities. Girls belonging to ethnic or social minorities were twice as likely to face barriers accessing healthcare services and nearly three times as likely to report an unplanned pregnancy. In rural areas, blocked or destroyed roads and the prolonged shutdown of clinics and schools left young women isolated from outside support.
Crucial Role of Education and Policy Recommendations
Plan International identified uninterrupted schooling as one of the most effective protective barriers for girls facing climate shocks. Educational institutions provide academic learning, essential peer support networks and vital information regarding personal rights, health resources and protection mechanisms against early marriage. Girls who drop out lose access to these protective environments.
To address the humanitarian crisis, Plan International urged national governments, international donors and global institutions to take immediate protective action. The NGO called for keeping schools open and safe during climate emergencies as a primary defence against forced marriage and gender violence.
The report further recommended that governments integrate essential healthcare supplies, including contraceptives and menstrual hygiene products, into formal disaster preparedness budgets. Additionally, it called for implementing social safety nets and cash transfer programs to prevent extreme poverty from pushing girls into exploitation, while advocating for funded girl-led initiatives and the direct inclusion of young women in national policy planning and global climate governance.
