Socio-demographic groups exhibit notable differences in climate change beliefs (Ballew et al., 2023), and gender is one of the key factors shaping how individuals perceive and respond to climate-related risks. Previous research has largely concentrated on gender differences in worry and concern about climate change, showing that women, on average, express more concern than men about the impacts of environmental issues (Arbuckle and Mercer, 2020, Bord and O’Connor, 1997, Bush and Clayton, 2022, Eastin, 2018, Flynn et al., 1994, Knight, 2019, Knight and Givens, 2021, McCright, 2010, McKinney and Fulkerson, 2015). However, this focus on gender differences in concern may have overlooked a more fundamental aspect of climate engagement: women’s unequal access to scientific knowledge about the causes of climate change, especially in less developed regions.

Practitioners and academics have long noted that the impacts of climate change are not distributed equally across societies and individuals. In many less developed countries, women disproportionately bear the brunt of climate-related risks (Global Gender and Climate Alliance, 2016). Previous studies have documented how gender disparities manifest in levels of climate concern across different regions (Bush and Clayton, 2022, Knight, 2019). In particular, at low levels of economic development, there are no statistically meaningful gender differences in climate change concern, but the gap appears and grows as economic development level increases. In other words, in more affluent countries, women are on average more concerned about climate change than men (Bush and Clayton, 2022, Knight, 2019, Knight and Givens, 2021). One potential reason the gender gap in climate concern is wider in affluent nations is that men in these nations, on average, benefit more from existing economic and social structures, are more influenced by loss aversion and identity protection, and face higher psychological resistance to significant structural and economic changes potentially brought by climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts (Bush and Clayton, 2022, McCright and Dunlap, 2011). This research suggests that because these gender differences are smaller in regions with fewer economic resources, gender disparities in climate change impacts may not promote the lower level of concern about climate change among men in those regions that they do in more affluent countries (Bush & Clayton, 2022; Knight & Givens, 2021; Lewis et al., 2019).1

We argue that structural barriers to education and information access disproportionately affect women in less economically and democratically developed contexts, resulting in lower rates of understanding that climate change is human-caused. Acknowledging that climate change is human-caused is a precursor to supporting its solutions, as research shows that people who attribute climate change to human activities are more likely to engage in pro-environmental behaviors, support policy interventions, and engage others in addressing the problem (Lee et al., 2015; Swim & Whitmarsh, 2018). While existing studies have provided insights into how men and women in the Global North differ in their understanding of the causes of climate change, much less is known about how educational disparities and information access shape gender differences in understanding climate science across different development contexts.

This study investigates: 1) whether gender differences exist in beliefs about the root causes of climate change, 2) why women, particularly in lower-income countries, are less likely than men to attribute climate change to human activities, and 3) what socio-structural factors help explain this gender difference in knowledge about the human causes of climate change. For example, structural disparities, socialization, and feminine ideals may exacerbate gender inequalities in access to information about climate change. Around the world, men often have greater access to information about climate change, while women pay less attention to this information as they are expected to focus on caring and domestic responsibilities in their daily lives (Brody et al., 2008).

To explore these gender differences, we analyze a novel global dataset comprising 103 countries and territories with over 90,000 observations. Our analysis identifies a distinct gender gap in climate change cause attribution, particularly in less economically developed and less democratic countries. In these countries, men are more likely than women to understand that human activity is driving climate change; however, this gender gap diminishes in more economically and democratically developed countries.

This study uniquely examines global gender disparities in beliefs about the root causes of climate change. Our findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners looking to design gender-responsive climate strategies. Ensuring that both men and women understand the human causes of global warming is crucial for fostering equitable climate change mitigation and adaptation solutions.