Integrating Gender issues into Climate Change Adaptation: National and Regional policy making and planning ECOWAS Regional Ministerial Dialogue on Climate Change in West Africa, Cotonou, Benin October 2008 Dr. Janet Kabeberi-Macharia Senior Adviser on Gender, UNEP

Gender and Climate Change:UNEP 2008 Introduction The IPCC in 2001 noted that “ Climate change impacts will be differently distributed among different regions, generations, age, classes, income groups occupations and genders”.

Gender and Climate Change:UNEP 2008 Developing countries bear the brunt of climate change impacts: development is constrained, increasing poverty levels and delays in achievement of MDGs living conditions and livelihoods are harmed, increasing inequities in health, access to water, food sources of energy. increasing human costs particularly for the poor who are heavily dependent on the environment for survival.

Gender and Climate Change:UNEP 2008 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS AND VULNERABILITIES IN AFRICA Vulnerability refers to “the degree to which a system is susceptible to, or unable to cope with the adverse effects of climate change”

Gender and Climate Change:UNEP 2008 Vulnerability occurs disproportionately Who or what are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change? What social, physical, and environmental factors make them vulnerable?

Gender and Climate Change:UNEP 2008 Africa is one of the most vulnerable continents to climate change; already under pressure from climate stresses – variable climates in many areas Africa’s vulnerability is increased by climate-dependency of major economic sectors and by existing development challenges African women by virtue of their reproductive and productive roles are more vulnerable to impacts of Climate Change

Gender and Climate Change:UNEP 2008 Examples Water: Population at risk of increased water stress million people by 2020 – potential for conflicts Agriculture: Production will be compromised in many African countries due to loss of land, shorter growing seasons, lower yields – risk of increasing food insecurity

Gender and Climate Change:UNEP 2008 Human health: Changing geographical distribution of disease vectors, malnutrition, floods and heat-waves. Africa accounts for 90% of global malaria cases and over 90% of cholera cases, while nearly half of Africans lack adequate access to sanitation and clean water

Gender and Climate Change:UNEP 2008 Coastal zones: Future sea level rise may have significant impacts on African coastlines. Threaten people, infrastructure and coastal ecosystems

Gender and Climate Change:UNEP WHY GENDER AND CLIMATE CHANGE? The intricate links between gender, environment, climate change and related disasters are complex. Women and men experience climate change differently. Their experiences, needs, rights and the options available to them differ according to socio-culturally defined gender roles.

Gender and Climate Change:UNEP 2008 The division of labour between men and women often determines how men and women will adapt to environmental challenges posed by climate change A distinction needs to be made in the way both genders relate to and deal with natural resources Access to and the control over natural resources determines the financial and physical security of women and their families, and ultimately their survival.

Gender and Climate Change:UNEP Climate change related disasters and conflicts radically change gender roles Women may be forced to undertake traditionally male roles yet existing legal or societal norms prevent them from fully undertaking these roles

Gender and Climate Change:UNEP 2008 Gender Issues in Adaptation To what extent are gender concerns fully integrated into specific assessment tools and methodologies to assess ecosystem vulnerability. To what extent does a focus on community knowledge on climate change adaptation take into consideration women’s knowledge? To what extent is women’s knowledge harnessed to inform planning and responses for disaster risk reduction and climate change science?

Gender and Climate Change:UNEP 2008 Cross-cutting gender issues Poverty Increase in female headed households Illiteracy, poor infrastructure, health inequities Gendered impact of poverty and how this impacts on climate change adaptation

Gender and Climate Change:UNEP 2008 Gendered roles and responsibilities – leading to increased dependency on nature – lack of access to resources – differences in attitudes, needs, consumption, also determined by geographical and an socio economic

Gender and Climate Change:UNEP Control and Access to resources Climate change and disasters highlight existing gender inequalities: unequal distribution of land property rights and access to land or resources which constrains women’s decision making abilities in the absence of a male owner In many African societies men generally control the access to, use and ownership of natural resources.

Gender and Climate Change:UNEP In many societies, traditional legal systems and customary rights prevent widowed or single women from having formal access to or control over land, water or other resources. Without ownership or rights, women are systematically excluded from decision- making. They have no voice and their needs are not taken into account.

Gender and Climate Change:UNEP Recommendations Development of new structures of environmental governance to afford opportunities for changing laws and societal attitudes. Gender inclusiveness in the access to, usage and ownership of natural resources, resulting in greater equality in other areas.

Gender and Climate Change:UNEP 2008 Sex and gender disaggregated data To enable the integration of gender concerns into adaptation policies and strategies Provide analysis of the extent to which power relations / power structures in the family or community influence coping mechanisms Provide analysis of the extent to which ownership and utilisation of natural resources determines women’s ability to apply their knowledge on adaptation

Gender and Climate Change:UNEP 2008 Men and women have to be involved in developing adaptation strategies or coping mechanisms. Gender sensitive communication strategy to be integrated into awareness campaigns Gender sensitive monitoring indicators to be integrated into overall indicators

Gender and Climate Change:UNEP 2008 Sharing good practices: Water conservation, water harvesting and storage, better management of supply systems. This has reduced the burden on women and girls in looking for water

Gender and Climate Change:UNEP 2008 Building institutional capacity on gender mainstreaming Training for adaptation practitioners on gender and climate change link Development of gender responsive proactive vs reactive strategies

Gender and Climate Change:UNEP 2008 Thank you