Opinion A group of American politicians has introduced a resolution into Congress saying that climate change (among many other bad things it does) forces women into prostitution, and that as a result the USA should use "gender sensitive frameworks" in battling the scourge of global warming.

House Concurrent Resolution 36 of the 113th Congress ("Recognizing the disparate impact of climate change on women and the efforts of women globally to address climate change"), dated April 26, can be read here. It says:

Whereas women will disproportionately face harmful impacts from climate change ... ... insecure women with limited socioeconomic resources may be vulnerable to situations such as sex work, transactional sex, and early marriage that put them at risk for HIV, STIs, unplanned pregnancy, and poor reproductive health ...

So yes, women will be forced into prostitution by climate change. And something should be done:

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That Congress ... ... encourages the use of gender-sensitive frameworks in developing policies to address climate change, which account for the specific impacts of climate change on women ...

A concurrent resolution - should it be passed in due course by the House and Senate - does not have force of law, and indeed this one merely "encourages" the President to "support women globally to prepare for, build resilience for, and adapt to climate change". It will probably not have much impact on the US government or the climate debate generally should it be passed - except, of course, that it would become the official position of the US Congress that climate change doesn't just mean crop failure, rising sea levels, death to polar bears etc: it actually forces hapless women into prostitution as well.

The resolution was introduced by a group of Democratic congresspersons led by Representative Barbara Lee of California. ®