Gender and climate change

Gender and climate change

In this presentation • Key terms • What is the link between gender, social exclusion and climate change? • Vulnerability and capacity • What can we do? • Some examples? Based on Movement guidance notes (2014, 2015 and 2017):

Defining 'gender' The IFRC Strategic Framework on Gender and Diversity Issues 2013 – 2020: Gender “refers to the social differences between females and males throughout their life cycles. Although deeply rooted in every culture, these social differences between females and males are changeable over time and are different both within and between cultures. Gender determines the roles, power and resources for females and males in any culture” UNFCCC: ‘Gender’ refers to the characteristics of men and women defined by society in contrast to the biologically determined ones or sex Photos: Climate Centre

... what is 'gender'? • Gender is a social construct • Sex is the biological difference • Gender is based on socially determined roles and responsibilities – and differ across geographies, context and culture. Those socially determined roles govern social behaviour norms for women and men, such as: • "Women give birth so are more caring than men"

Equal opportunities Equal access to all resources – financial, physical, intellectual, moral, social Equal power and authority to take informed decisions within households, in communities and on larger platforms 'Equality' means Photos: Climate Centre

… and promote 'equity' Equality is treating everyone the same – it aims to promote fairness, but it can only work if everyone starts from the same place and needs the same help. Equity is giving everyone what they need to be successful. Source: interactioninstitute.org and madewithangus.com

What is the link? …between gender …. and climate change

The construction of women & girls’ vulnerability Unequal access to resources, education, legal protection, decision-making – and their reproductive burden – make women & girls more vulnerable than men in some communities • Disaster management programs can fail to consider the different needs of women and girls: • Research have found that boys received preferential treatment over girls in rescue efforts • Written information may be less accessible to women who tend to have lower literacy levels Hence, women and girls tend to be disproportionately affected by climate change

Women & girls’ capacities • Roleshighlycontextspecific, but: • Women are key actors in implementing positive change in communities and in family, e.g. 'household preparedness' • Disaster risk programs can draw on women’s knowledge and skills in food production and management to identify opportunities for adaptation • The often closer relationship with children in many cultures can help nurture risk-awareness and preparedness with the next generation • Note: Participatory planning is key to identify differentiated impacts, vulnerabilities and capacities Photo: Climate Centre

Examples⃰ of different vulnerability to climate change • Women and girls • In their multiple roles as food providers, guardians of health, and caregivers, climate related hazards can further burden women • Girls are more likely to be withdrawn from school in times of stress • Cultural stigmas in some places can mean that women are not taught life saving skills • Domestic violence can escalate during emergencies • As natural disasters become more frequent, more people may live in displacement camps where women and girls are vulnerable to sexual violence • Limited access to information and influence on decision making processes limit the capacity of women to prepare and respond to adverse impacts of climate change • Men and boys • As farming and fishing may become more difficult in some places, men may have to move into cities to find work • Notions of masculinity can compel men and boys to take more risk • Men are less likely than women to seek out help and change habits • Men may not have knowledge of accurate or current information on climate change impacts in ‘domestic’ arenas, such as availability of drinking water or quality of crops being used for cooking • As natural disasters become more frequent, more people may live in displacement camps where men may exhibit an increase in violent or risk taking behaviour which impacts upon those around them Photo: Australian RC/ Mel Tolnay ⃰ source: Gender and Climate Change Guidance Note

Why is that important? • It is vital to address different vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities that are a result of gender based inequalities to minimize diverse impacts: • Address particular vulnerabilities of all genders • An opportunity to build on existing capacities • Limit exacerbating an existing vulnerability

What can we do? • Undertake gender analysis as part of a VCA (Vulnerability Capacity Assessment) to build up our understanding of the specific and varied challenges • Develop gender sensitive disaster risk reduction methods • Raise awareness in communities about differential vulnerabilities • Monitoring the health situation of vulnerable groups • Encourage and enable women and girls to be included in climate forums • Creating spaces for interaction and sharing – and raise awareness amongst men and boys • Promote women & girls’ rights by ensuring that they can participate equally and actively alongside men • Target awareness information to specific gender needs • Monitor and evaluate participation of women & girls as well as support received in programmes Photo: Climate Centre

Collect sex-disaggregated data on vulnerabilities and capacities to guide adaptive interventions Invest in assets for women and girls – land, animals, long-term lease on productive resources, finance, education, health, skills Local governments to prepare local action plans on adaptation with local (village) development plans, including strengthening local capacities of women and girls Mainstream gender and climate change adaptation (CCA) in capacity development modules at all levels of governance Involve women’s ministry/departments and issue guidelines for adaptation and gender budgeting Develop and monitor gender-just CCA indicators Expand women in science and on decision-making fora for CCA Make gender-based behavioral change modules part of the curriculum of school and adult learning Gender equality actions Photo: Danish Red Cross

Examples⃰ of gender sensitive 'climate smart' activities ⃰ source: Gender and Climate Change Guidance Note

Examples Participating in community initiatives: Pakistan Red Crescent assists community members in analysing the risk to market women-led gardening initiatives Photo: IFRC Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment in Sri Lanka – separate male and female groups rank and compare their hazards and prioritise actions Photo: Danish Red Cross Inclusive training & education programmes Community in Nicaragua learning about disaster preparedness and climate-smart risk reduction, targeting all age and gender groups Photo: Climate Centre

Using Gender Analysis Tools Gender-based Needs Practical Needs • Arise out of necessity, based on socially determined roles and responsibilities, e.g. access to food, water, firewood, fodder, education, health care, training, employment, etc. • Most NGOs and government programmes focus on practical needs Strategic Needs • Arise because of the power difference, women’s subordinate position and division of labour, e.g. self-esteem, legal/economic/political rights, domestic violence, control over their bodies, individual ability to take decisions, freedom for mobility, free time for recreation, etc. • Few NGOs work on these. Government programmes respond to lobbying and advocacy to bring about changes Photos: Danish Red Cross Centre

Using Gender Analysis Tools Policies, institutions, budgets

… especially, promote gender-responsive NAPs National Adaptation Plans (NAP) is a key process/document to engage in (separate training module) A 'gender analysis' of NAP from 9 countries revealed:

… especially, promote gender-responsive NAPs Gender 'transformation' in policies like NAPs would imply: • Women are not disproportionately affected by climate change • Women and men have equal voice in decision-making climate change and broader governance processes • Climate change policy making institutions and processes at all levels are not biased towards men and women • Women’s and men’s needs and knowledge are accounted for in all policy / practice • The broad social constraints that limit women's access to strategic and practical resources no longer exist.

… especially, promote gender-responsive NAPs National Societies have huge opportunities to support the NAP process • … and should: • Invest in capacity building on gender adaptation • Enable participatory and inclusive adaptation decision-making processes • Harmonize guidance on gender mainstreaming in adaptation • Share knowledge on gender and climate change adaptation with government partners and other actors (part of the policy dialogue – see separate training modules)

… Finally, advocate for nation-wide approaches that close the inequality gap and make societies more inclusive • National Societies have an important opportunity to support inclusive national approaches, such as social protection by: • Supporting inclusion of women and marginalized groups’ needs in the design or implementation of national social protection programmes that NS is supporting • Advocate for national policies for DRM and climate adaptation that consider role of SP in reducing inequality and increasing inclusion • Etc… (see separate training modules)

Final points Initiate discussion about the concept of gender and climate change and help communities deal with its diverse impacts (seek further guidance on how to do this well in your special context) As the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement operates globally and, therefore, in all cultures, it is important to take a culturally sensitive approach to address gender issues

Gender and climate change