Women’s Voices: Lived Effects of the 4Cs (Climate Change, Conflict, Covid-19, and Cost of Living.
The world is facing unprecedented shocks driven by the Four C’s
These include: Covid-19, Conflict, Climate change, and the rising Cost of living. While these crises dominate headlines and policy debates, their most devastating impacts are felt in the lives of women, mothers, and newborns. Each “C” compounds the other, creating a perfect storm that undermines reproductive, maternal, and newborn health (RMNH) and pushes the most vulnerable further behind.
Covid-19 disrupted access to essential health services, leaving pregnant women without antenatal care, safe delivery options, or postpartum support. Conflict has displaced millions of women and children into fragile settings where reproductive health is urgent, exposing them to higher risks of maternal and newborn deaths. Climate change brings food insecurity, unsafe water, and rising disease burdens that directly threaten maternal nutrition, pregnancy outcomes, and newborn survival. Meanwhile, the soaring cost of living has made even the basics such as transport to health facilities, nutritious food, or essential hygiene products an impossible choice for many families.
These crises do not affect all women equally. Adolescent girls, women with disabilities, migrant women, refugees, those living in informal settlements, and those in rural or nomadic communities face the heaviest burdens. For them, the Four C’s are not abstract global challenges; they are daily realities that determine whether they can access care, survive childbirth, or nurture a healthy newborn.
If maternal and newborn health is to advance, the Four C’s cannot remain side conversations in global and national agendas. They must be recognized as central determinants of health and equity. Only by addressing these interconnected crises with urgency and inclusivity can we ensure that no woman or newborn is left behind, and that safe pregnancies, dignified births, and thriving families become a universal reality.
This report amplifies the voices of women and girls, bringing to light their lived experiences of the Four C’s and how these crises shape their reproductive, maternal, and newborn health.
