Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton named Arsht-Rock Global Ambassador for Heat, Health, and Gender
Tue, Mar 7, 2023
In partnership with the Clinton Global Initiative, Secretary Clinton to call attention to the growing impacts of climate-driven extreme heat on women and girls in vulnerable communities across the globe
March 7, 2023, Washington, D.C.—Today, on the eve of International Women’s Day, the Adrienne Arsht–Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center (Arsht-Rock) announced Hillary Rodham Clinton, 67th United States Secretary of State, as Global Ambassador for Heat, Health, and Gender. In her new role through a partnership with the Clinton Global Initiative, Secretary Clinton will raise awareness about the impacts of climate-driven extreme heat, focusing on the disproportionate health-related risks to women and girls, and the many solutions available. Her efforts will support Arsht-Rock’s work to expand and improve heat warning systems, co-deliver policy and cooling interventions, and mobilize investment needed for the most vulnerable women and girls in communities across the globe.
As the climate crisis bears down, and as women’s lives and livelihoods continue to be threatened as a result, there’s no time to waste in addressing this urgent need. I am proud to join Arsht-Rock as Global Heat, Health and Gender Ambassador. Together, in partnership with the Clinton Global Initiative, we will bring visibility to the impacts of extreme heat and promote solutions to empower women and girls.
Women and girls in marginalized communities across the globe are disproportionately impacted by climate change. Extreme heat—the invisible climate threat—is the deadliest and least understood of these climate impacts. As the mercury rises, women and girls are increasingly susceptible to the heat-health effects that are reducing income and impeding economic stability. The evidence shows that children’s test scores decrease, gender violence increases, and miscarriage rates go up.
“As the Founder of the Arsht-Rock Resilience Center, I’m delighted that Secretary Clinton has agreed to be our Global Ambassador for Heat, Health and Gender and to lend her voice and expertise to raise awareness of some of the most fundamental impacts of climate change,” said Adrienne Arsht, Executive Vice-Chair of the Atlantic Council, Business Leader, and Impact Philanthropist.
“The increasingly dangerous and deadly impacts of extreme heat require urgent action and the powerful, credible voices of global champions like Secretary Clinton,” said Kathy Baughman McLeod, Director and SVP of the Adrienne Arsht–Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center. “Arsht-Rock and Secretary Clinton have a shared commitment to advancing and co-creating solutions that prioritize women and girls. We are so grateful to have her in this role to put a spotlight on extreme heat and what we can do to protect people from it.”
Secretary Clinton’s unparalleled global experience, relationships, and deep knowledge will give a huge boost to the momentum building around Arsht-Rock and its partners’ initiatives to catalyze protective, cooling investments and resources.
Secretary Clinton recently joined the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), a Clinton Global Initiative and Arsht-Rock partner, who, along with Blue Marble launched the Extreme Heat Income Micro-Insurance—a first-of-its-kind parametric insurance that protects the health and income of women working in India’s informal sector—as the first commitment of the Global Climate Resilience Fund for Women announced by Reema Nanavaty, Executive Director of SEWA, and Secretary Clinton in February.
About the Adrienne-Arsht Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center
The Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center (Arsht-Rock) builds individual and community resilience in the face of climate impacts. We pledge to reach one billion people around the world with resilience solutions to climate change by 2030.
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