| Women, Gender Equality and Climate Change | ||||
   |  | The Threats of Climate Change are not Gender-Neutral Global UN Commitments, Resolutions and other Intergovernmental Outcomes UN Publications Other Resources on UN websites UN Events Fact sheet
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The Threats of Climate Change are not Gender-Neutral
The threat of climate change, manifested in the increase of extreme weather conditions such as, droughts, storms or floods, has been recognized as a global priority issue. Climate change is a sustainable development challenge, with broad impacts not only on the environment but also on economic and social development. The effects of climate change will vary among regions, and between different generations, income groups and occupations as well as between women and men. Due, in part, to their lower adaptive capacities, developing countries and people living in poverty are likely to experience significant impacts.
Women form a disproportionately large share of the poor in countries all over the world. Women in rural areas in developing countries are highly dependent on local natural resources for their livelihood, because of their responsibility to secure water, food and energy for cooking and heating. The effects of climate change, including drought, uncertain rainfall and deforestation, make it harder to secure these resources. By comparison with men in poor countries, women face historical disadvantages, which include limited access to decision-making and economic assets that compound the challenges of climate change. 1
It is therefore imperative that a gender analysis be applied to all actions on climate change and that gender experts are consulted in climate change processes at all levels, so that women's and mens specific needs and priorities are identified and addressed.
Global UN Commitments, Resolutions and other Intergovernmental Outcomes Linking Gender Equality, Climate Change and Sustainable Development
In 1992, more than 100 Heads of States met in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the first International Earth Summit convened to address urgent problems of environmental protection and sustainable development. The assembled leaders signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity, endorsed the Rio Declaration and the Forest Principles, and adopted Agenda 21, a 300 page plan for achieving sustainable development in the 21st century. More information: http://www.un.org/esa/earthsummit/
The challenge of climate change is unlikely to be gender-neutral, as it increases the risk to the most vulnerable and less empowered social groups. In the formulation of global and national approaches, as well as in the strategic responses to specific sectors, gender awareness, substantive analysis and inclusive engagement will be necessary.
Source: Overview of United Nations activities in relation to climate change -Report of the Secretary General (A/62/644), January 2008.
The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali in December 2007 called for further commitment to address climate change; and led to the Bali Action Plan to support the negotiation process towards the achievement of a comprehensive global agreement by the end of 2009. The Bali Action Plan reaffirmed that effectively addressing climate change requires mitigation and adaptation strategies as well as technology transfer and financing.
Although the UNFCCC does not address gender equality, there are numerous global commitments and agreements that make the linkage between gender equality and climate change. The International Conference on Population and Development (1994), the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995), the World Summit on Sustainable Development (2002), and the 2005 World Summit all acknowledged the pivotal role women play in sustainable development.
The Convention to Combat Desertification which, as of March 2008 had 193 State Parties, recognizes the role played by women in regions of desertification and drought, particularly in rural areas of developing countries. It calls for its Member States to promote womens participation in decision-making policies and programmes that address desertification and drought. More information: http://www.unccd.int/convention/ratif/doeif.php
In addition, the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) states that Parties shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the political and public life, and to ensure that women are on equal terms with men in both Governmental and Non-governmental organizations and in regards to the development and implementation of policy. In addition, CEDAW emphasizes the unique challenges for rural women and the need to ensure the application of these measures in rural areas. For example, CEDAW calls for access to agricultural credit and loans, marketing facilities, appropriate technology and equal treatment in land and agrarian reform as well as in land resettlement schemes [Article 14.2 (g)] and to adequate living conditions, including adequate sanitation and water supply [Article 14.2 (h)]. In 2009, the CEDAW Committee issued a statement on Gender and Climate Change, expressing concern about the absence of a gender perspective in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and other global and national policies and initiatives on climate change; and calling on States Parties to include gender equality as an overarching guiding principle in the UNFCCC agreement expected at the 15th Conference of Parties in Copenhagen. http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/docs/Gender_and_climate_change.pdf
In 2002, the Commission on the Status of Women considered the issue of climate change at its 46th session. The agreed conclusions on Environmental management and the mitigation of natural disasters 2 adopted by the Commission called for action to mainstream a gender perspective into ongoing research on the impacts and causes of climate change, and to encourage the application of results of this research in policies and programmes.
The Commission on the Status of Women considered climate change as an emerging issue in its 52nd session in 2008. Participants drew attention to the fact that climate change is not a gender-neutral phenomenon, stressing that it has a direct impact on womens lives due to their domestic work and makes their everyday sustenance even more difficult. The Commission called for efforts on financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women, specifically referring to the impact of climate change on women and girls. Furthermore, it called for governments to: integrate a gender perspective into the design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting of national environmental policies; to strengthen mechanisms; and to provide adequate resources to ensure womens full and equal participation in decision-making at all levels on environmental issues, particularly on strategies related to the impact of climate change on the lives of women and girls.3
UN Resolutions and Intergovernmental Outcomes:- The Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change
http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/convkp/kpeng.pdf - Human Rights and Climate Change Resolution 7/23, March 2008
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/climatechange/docs/Resolution_7_23.pdf - Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development: The Rio Declaration, Rio De Janeiro, 1992
http://www.un.org/documents/ga/conf151/aconf15126-1annex1.htm - Key General Assembly Resolutions Relating to the Earth Summit and Rio +5
- Report of the Secretary-General (A/62/644) on United Nations Activities in relation to Climate Change - January 2008
http://www.un.org/ga/president/62/ThematicDebates/a-62-644.pdf
- Statement of the CEDAW Committee on Gender and Climate Change - 2009
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/docs/Gender_and_climate_change.pdf
UN Publications
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO):
- Making Sustainable Biofuels Work for Smallholder Farmers and Rural Households - Issues and Perspectives
http://www.globalbioenergy.org/bioenergyinfo/sort-by-date/detail/en/news/20543/icode/ - Gender and Equity Issues in Liquid Biofuels Production. Minimizing the risks to maximize the opportunities
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/010/ai503e/ai503e00.pdf - People-Centred Climate Change Adaptation: Integrating Gender Issues
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/010/a1395e/a1395e00.pdf - Gender: The Missing Component of the Response to Climate Change
http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/i0170e/i0170e00.htm - Energy and Gender Issues in Rural Sustainable Development
http://www.fao.org/sd/dim_pe1/docs/pe1_060501d1_en.pdf - Rural Households and Sustainability: Integrating Environmental and Gender Concerns into Home Economics Curricula
http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/V5406e/V5406e00.htm - Gender and Sustainable Development in Drylands: An analysis of field experiences
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/005/j0086e/j0086e00.pdf - FAO and Traditional Knowledge: the Linkages with Sustainability, Food Security, and Climate Change Impacts
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/011/i0841e/i0841e00.pdf - Indigenous and Tribal Peoples: Building on Biological and Cultural Diversity for Food and Livelihood Security
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/011/i0838e/i0838e01.pdf - Climate Change and Migration: An Examination of Predicted Impacts to Rural Agricultural Communities (FAO, forthcoming)
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD):
- Gender and Desertification: Making ends meet in drylands
http://www.ifad.org/pub/gender/desert/gender_desert_leaf.pdf - Gender and Desertification: Expanding roles for women to restore drylands
http://www.ifad.org/pub/gender/desert/gender_desert.pdf - Environment and Natural Resource Management: IFAD s Growing Commitment
http://www.ifad.org/pub/enviorn/EnvironENG.pdf - Gender and Water - Securing water for improved rural livelihoods: The multiple-uses system approach
http://www.ifad.org/gender/thematic/water/gender_water.pdf - Adivasi Women: Engaging with Climate Change
http://www.unifem.org/materials/item_detail.php?ProductID=149
International Labour Organization (ILO):
- Green Jobs: Improving the climate for gender equality too!
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---gender/documents/publication/wcms_101505.pdf
United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM):
- Adivasi Women: Engaging with Climate Change
http://www.unifem.org/materials/item_detail.php?ProductID=149
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):
- Resource Guide on Gender and Climate Change
http://content.undp.org/go/cms-service/download/asset/?asset_id=1854911 - Training Manual on Gender and Climate Change
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900sid/ASAZ-7SNCA9/$file/UNDP_Mar2009.pdf?openelement
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA):
- State of the World Population 2009
Facing a changing world: women, population and climate
http://www.unfpa.org/swp/2009/en/
United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF):
- Climate Change and Children
http://www.unicef.org/publications/files/Climate_Change_and_Children.pdf
United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN ISDR):
- Gender Perspectives: Integrating Disaster Risk Reduction into Climate Change Adaptation - Good Practices and Lessons Learned
http://www.unisdr.org/eng/about_isdr/isdr-publications/17-Gender_Perspectives_Integrating_DRR_CC/
Gender_Perspectives_Integrating_DRR_CC_Good%20Practices.pdf
World Health Organization (WHO):
- Women, Health and the Environment
Our Planet (Volume 15, No 12)
http://www.unep.org/ourplanet/imgversn/152/images/Our_Planet_15.2.pdf
Other Resources on UN Websites
UN (system-wide):
- Gateway to the UN System's Work on Climate Change
http://www.un.org/climatechange/ - UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC):
http://unfccc.int/2860.php - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC):
http://www.ipcc.ch/
United Nations Radio:
- The impact of climate change on rural women
http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/detail/88482.html
United Nations Television (UN TV / 21st Century):
- BOLIVIA'S GLACIER: A VANISHING FUTURE (Online video, 8'11")
http://www.un.org/av/unfamily/21stcentury.html - GLOBAL WARMING: VIETNAM'S NEW ENEMY (Online video, 7'09")
http://www.un.org/av/unfamily/21stcentury.html
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO):
- Climate Change: Gender, Equity and Social Issues
http://www.fao.org/climatechange/49379/en/ - Gender-Sensitive Strategies for Adaptation to Climate Change: Drawing on Indian Farmers Experiences (research project)
http://www.fao.org/climatechange/54818/en/ - Gender Perspectives on the Conventions on Biodiversity, Climate Change and Desertification
http://www.fao.org/sd/dim_pe1/pe1_041002_en.htm - Gender and Food Security - Environment
http://www.fao.org/gender/en/env-e.htm - FAO FOCUS: Women and Food Security
http://www.fao.org/FOCUS/E/Women/Sustin-e.htm - Climate Change, a Further Challenge for Gender Equity: How men and women farmers are differently affected - News Room
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2008/1000809/index.html - Climate Change: Focusing on how the vulnerable can cope - News Room
FAO pilots emerging strategies to alleviate weather-related consequences
http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000724/index.html - Gender and Dryland Management: Gender roles in transformation
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/005/y4788E/y4788E00.pdf - Towards Sustainable Food Security: Women and water resources
http://www.fao.org/sd/fsdirect/fbdirect/FSP003.htm
United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW):
- Division of the Advancement of Women (DAW) Report on the Expert group meeting on Environmental Management and the Mitigation of Natural Disasters: A Gender Perspective
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/env_manage/documents/EGM-Turkey-final-report.pdf - Womens poverty, empowerment must be addressed to meet development goals- press release on the general discussion of the Commission on Status of Women, 46th Session.
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2002/wom1322.doc.htm - Redressing power equation between women and men, eradicating womens poverty- press release on the general discussion of the Commission on the Status of Women, 46th session.
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2002/wom1323.doc.htm - UN Gender and Climate Change Issues Paper
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/csw52/issuespapers/ Gender%20and%20climate%20change%20paper%20final.pdf - Commission on the Status of Women: Emerging Issues Panel on Gender Perspectives on Climate Change, March 2008
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/csw52/panels/climatechangepanel/ R.Nampinga%20Presentation.pdf
International Labour Organization (ILO):
- Green jobs initiative
http://www.ilo.org/integration/themes/greenjobs/lang--en/index.htm - Gender Equality at the Heart of Decent Work Campaign: Green jobs
http://www.ilo.org/gender/Events/Campaign2008-2009/lang--en/WCMS_101466/index.htm
United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP):
- Gender and the Environment
http://www.unep.org/gender_env/ - Insights into Gender and the Environment: Gender and Sustainable Land Management
http://www.unep.org/gender_env/Information_Material/SustainableLand.asp - UNEP Annual Report 2005: Gender Equality is Key for the Environment
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=67&ArticleID=5125&l=en - Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD): Inter-agency Support Group on Indigenous Peoples Issues Paper on Indigenous Peoples and Climate Change
English Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues Seventh session
21 April - 2 May 2008, New York, E/C.19/2008/CRP.2 7
http://www.cbd.int/doc/meetings/tk/emccilc-01/other/emccilc-01-ipcc-en.pdf
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO):
- 4th Forum on Gender Equality: Gendered Dimensions of Climate Change, Paris, France, 19 June 2008
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=43552&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html - UNESCO International Seminar on Climate Change Education, 27-29 July 2009, UNESCO Headquarters, Paris
http://portal.unesco.org/science/es/ev.php-URL_ID=7602&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html - “Gender and Climate Forum” at the World Climate Conference-3, 1 September 2009, International Conference Center, Geneva
http://www.wmo.int/wcc3/ - UNESCO International Conference on Broadcast Media and Climate Change, 4-5 September 2009, UNESCO Headquarters, Paris
http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=28475&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA):
- Women Central to Efforts to Deal With Climate Change, Says New UNFPA Report
http://www.unfpa.org/public/News/pid/4259 - Analyzing the relationship between population and climate change
http://www.unfpa.org/pds/climate/index.html - Population Growth and Climate Change
http://www.unfpa.org/pds/climate/size.html - Key Messages and Related Research on Population Dynamics And Climate Change
http://www.unfpa.org/pds/climate/messages.html
United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT):
- Gender and Post-crisis Reconstruction (Draft)
http://www.unhabitat.org/downloads/docs/5500_35498_Gender%20Update%202.pdf - Expert Group Meeting On Gender-Friendly Sustainable Cities in Asia and the Pacific: Rebuilding Communities Affected by Disaster and Conflict
http://www.unhabitat.org/downloads/docs/5371_97974_EGMProceedings2.pdf
United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM):
- Gender Responsive Budgeting in Practice: A training Manual
http://www.unifem.org/attachments/products/GRBinPractice_TrainingManual_eng.pdf - Women and Water
http://www.unifem.org/attachments/stories/at_a_glance_water_rights.pdf - CEDAW: Restoring Rights to Women
www.unifem.org.in/cedaw.html - Budgeting for Women’s Rights; Monitoring Government Budgets for Compliance with CEDAW— A Summary Guide for Policy-Makers, Gender Equality and Human Rights Advocates
www.unifem.org/resources/item_detail.php?ProductID=44
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):
- Mainstreaming Gender in Water Management: A Practical Journey to Sustainability
http://www.undp.org/water/docs/resource_guide.pdf - Biodiversity for Development: The Gender Dimension
http://www.undp.org/women/mainstream/BiodiversityForDevelopment.pdf - Sustainable Energy Services: The Gender Dimension
http://www.undp.org/women/mainstream/SustainableEnergyServices.pdf - Gender and Energy for Sustainable Development: A Toolkit and Resource Guide
http://www.undp.org/energy/genenergykit/genderengtoolkit.pdf - Generating Opportunities: Case Studies on Energy and Women
http://www.energyandenvironment.undp.org/undp/indexAction.cfm?module=Library
&action=GetFile&DocumentAttachmentID=1013
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
- Climate Change, Migration and Human Rights, Address by Ms. Kyung-wha Kang Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Office of the United Nations
Conference on Climate Change and Migration: Addressing Vulnerabilities and Harnessing Opportunities, 19 February 2008, Geneva
http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/
BA5B630BFFAD7FC1C12573F600386398?opendocument - Climate Change and Human Rights - Media Centre
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/Climate.aspx - Human Rights and Environment Issues in Multilateral Treaties Adopted between 1991 and 2001 - Background Paper No. 1
Joint UNEP-OHCHR Expert Seminar on Human Rights and the Environment
14-16 January 2002, Geneva
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/environment/environ/bp1.htm
World Health Organization (WHO):
- Gender Inequities in Environmental Health
http://www.euro.who.int/Document/EEHC/25th_EEHC_Milan_edoc15.pdf - Climate Change and Health: Preparing for Unprecedented Challenges
The 2007 David E. Barmes Global Health Lecture
10 December 2007, USA
http://www.who.int/dg/speeches/2007/20071211_maryland/en/index.html?language
Past and forthcoming UN Events
- UN Climate Change Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark, 7-18 December 2009
http://www.cop15.dk/en/ - High-level Conference on Climate Change: Technology Development and Transfer, New Delhi, India, 22-23 October 2009
http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/dsd_aofw_cc/cc_conf1009.shtml - Summit on Climate Change, New York, USA, 22 September 2009
http://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/climatechange/lang/en/pages/2009summit - Global Climate Week, worldwide, 21-25 September 2009
http://www.sealthedeal2009.org/global-climate-week - UNESCO International Conference on Broadcast Media and Climate Change, Paris, France, 4-5 September 2009
http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=28475&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html - “Gender and Climate Forum” at the World Climate Conference-3, Geneva, Switzerland, 1 September 2009
http://www.wmo.int/wcc3/ - UNESCO International Seminar on Climate Change Education, Paris, France, 27-29 July 2009
http://portal.unesco.org/science/es/ev.php-URL_ID=7602&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html - Bonn Climate Change Talks, Bonn, Germany, 1-12 June 2009
http://unfccc.int/2860.php - International conference on gender and disaster risk reduction, Beijing, China, 20-22 April 2009
http://www.unisdr.org/english/events/v.php?id=8024 - Bonn Climate Change Talks, Bonn, Germany, 29 March-8 April 2009
http://unfccc.int/meetings/intersessional/bonn_09/items/4753.php - UN Climate Change Conference, Poznań, Poland, 1-12 December 2008
http://unfccc.int/meetings/cop_14/items/4481.php - Beijing High-Level Conference on Climate Change: Technology Development and Technology Transfer, Beijing, China, 7-8 November 2008
http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/dsd_aofw_cc/cc_conf1108.shtml - Third Congress on Women in Politics and Governance: Focus on Gender, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction, Metro Manila, Philippines, 19-22 October 2008
http://www.unisdr.org/english/events/v.php?id=2993 - 4th Forum on Gender Equality: Gendered Dimensions of Climate Change, Paris, France, 19 June 2008
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=43552&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html - UN Climate Change Conference, Bali, Indonesia, 3-11 December 2007
http://unfccc.int/meetings/cop_13/items/4049.php - Expert Group Meeting on “Environmental Management and the Mitigation of Natural Disasters: A Gender Perspective”, Ankara, Turkey, 6-9 November 2001
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/env_manage/
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1 52nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women (2008) “Gender perspectives on climate change,” Issues paper for interactive expert panel on Emerging issues, trends and new approaches to issues affecting the situation of women or equality between women and men.
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/csw52/issuespapers/Gender%20and%20climate%20change%20paper%20final.pdf
2 46th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (2002) “Agreed Conclusions,”. Report on the forty-sixth session of Commission on the Status of Women. Official Records, 2002 supplement No. 7 (E/2002/27-E/CN.6/2002/13). p12. Economic and Social Council, United Nations.
http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N02/397/04/PDF/N0239704.pdf?OpenElement
3 52nd Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (2008) Report on the fifty-second session of Commission on the Status of Women.. Official Records, 2008 Supplement No. 7. (E/2008/27-E/CN.6/2008/11). Economic and Social Council, United Nations.
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/52sess.htm
