CIFOR.org/gender-climate GENDER Produced by CIFOR as part of the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (CRPFTA). This collaborative program aims to enhance the management and use of forests, agroforestry and tree genetic resources across the landscape from forests to AND CLIMATE farms. CIFOR leads CRP-FTA in partnership with Bioversity International, CATIE, CIRAD, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture and the World Agroforestry Centre. CHANGE: EVIDENCE AND EXPERIENCE Funding partners A set of briefs on gender and climate change that highlights how CIFOR and partner organizations are addressing current and emerging policy issues, with insights and recommendations based on Contributing partners experience. UNDP-UNEP POVERTY-ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE cifor.org BRIEFS Gender INTRO Brief This set of policy briefs seeks to address some of the most pressing policy issues concerning gender and climate change, by drawing on the extensive experience of each contributing partner organization. Our hope is that the concise and empirically grounded recommendations in each brief can provide guidance to policy makers and programmers to better identify and address gender issues in climate policy and action. The briefs focus on a number of pressing issues such as gender equality in climate change adaptation and mitigation, gender- responsive financing, and gender-sensitive monitoring of sustainable development Gender and achievements. climate We also report on the status of gender integration in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations change as we enter the 21st Conference of Parties, and highlight the measures that need to be taken to ensure the new global agreement reduces women’s vulnerability and promotes the goals Evidence and of gender equality. experience We represent a diverse group of organizations working on gender and climate change issues, ranging from CGIAR research centers to United Nations agencies and international non-governmental organizations. We routinely collaborate to raise awareness of the importance of taking gender into account in climate change negotiations. We would like to acknowledge the following The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) contributing authors: compiled and published the brief package through funding from the UK Department for International Houria Djoudi, Thu Thuy Pham and Maria Development (DfID)-supported KnowFor Phase 2 Brockhaus from CIFOR; Ronnie Vernooy from Programme. The package can also be accessed online at: Bioversity International; Nicola Ward from CARE cifor.org/gender-climate International; Åsa Torkelsson and Flavia Ciribello from UN Women; Moa Westman from UNDP/UNEP Poverty Environment Initiative; Eleanor Blomstrom and Bridget Burns from WEDO; Ursula Miniszewski from Global Greengrants Fund; Margaux Granat and Cate Owren from IUCN; Jacqui Ashby from CGIAR; and Sophia Huyer, Jennifer Twyman, Manon Markus Ihalainen, Associate Professional Officer, CIFOR Koningstein, Sonja Vermeulen and Catherine Hill Bimbika Sijapati Basnett (PhD), Scientist/Gender from CCAFS. Coordinator, CIFOR Photo by Ollivier Girard for Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR). Barry Aliman, 24 years old, rides her bicycle with her baby to collect water for her family, Sorobouly village near Boromo, Burkina Faso. This brief introduces a set of Gender Climate Briefs. See the full set here: CIFOR.org/gender-climate Produced by CIFOR as part of the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (CRP- FTA). This collaborative program aims to enhance the management and use of forests, agroforestry and tree genetic resources across the landscape from forests to farms. CIFOR leads CRP-FTA in partnership with Bioversity International, CATIE, CIRAD, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture and the World Agroforestry Centre. Fund Gender Brief 1 Seeds of adaptation Climate change, crop diversification and the role of women farmers Women farmers around the The problem world are taking the lead in putting crop and varietal conservation and diversification Farmers’ own seed systems are at the heart of food strategies into practice as a security. These systems are currently under stress way to strengthen local climate due to political, social, economic and environmental change adaptation capacities. changes. Women farmers play key roles in these systems. However, they are often overlooked by researchers and development personnel, policies and programs. Key messages Context • Women farmers play key roles in Almost everywhere, local seed systems – from selection, local seed systems although they are to storage, production, distribution and exchange − are often overlooked by researchers and under stress. Agricultural modernization (for example, development personnel, policies and substitution of local varieties with hybrids), privatization programs. of natural resources and the strong concentration • Climate change is putting pressure and expansion of corporate power in the life science on farmers’ seed and food production systems, often resulting in different industries (including the seed industry) are contributing impacts on women and men. to a decline in collective local management of plant • Crop and varietal conservation and genetic resources for both conservation and sustainable diversification can be effective adaptation use. Many farming households have become more strategies to respond to changing farming individualized in terms of decision-making and use of conditions and increased uncertainty. knowledge, labor, capital and seeds. • Women are at the forefront of implementing such new strategies, but more attention and support are needed Traditional seed exchange relationships are becoming from research and development agencies weaker in many areas or are disappearing altogether. and from practitioners. Large-scale rural-to-urban migration is contributing to a decline in farming or changing its nature was introduced in the area about 10 years ago. It is radically. In some countries, this trend is leading named ‘Nepali’. It yields well and responds effectively to the feminization of agriculture, resulting in to increased fertilizer use. Two other varieties can be heavier workloads for women. Climate change, in found, as well, named ‘Paro China’ and ‘Chadanath the form of longer-term changes in temperature 1’. Before, we used to grow two traditional red rice and precipitation and the increased occurrence of extreme weather events, is putting additional varieties ‘Kuchum’ and ‘Raynam’, but these were pressure on farmers’ seed and food production affected by disease and decreasing yields. With systems, often with different impacts on women and government support, we changed our varieties. men. Diversity of local varieties, in both number and ‘Nepali’ is a good variety.” area cover, is on the decline in many countries. Future impacts of climate change are expected to become Experimenting for adaptation more pronounced in many parts of the world, forcing Pema and other farmers in the village are interested in farmers to change their practices and search for growing new rice varieties, especially ones that adapt information about crops and varieties better adapted well to the changing environmental conditions. In to new weather dynamics. recent years, they have been experimenting with new varieties introduced by breeders at the government’s Crop and varietal diversification can be an effective Renewable Natural Resource Research and adaptation strategy to respond to changing farming Development Centre. This is the first time the farmers, conditions. Women farmers around the world are together with researchers, have tested these new taking the lead in putting this strategy into practice varieties. The varieties are supposed to do well at higher and, in the process, they are reorienting farming altitudes, respond better to drier conditions and have knowledge, practices and the social relationships of good disease resistance. Farmers hope that one or more agricultural production. The following two examples of the new varieties will produce good results. Bioversity illustrate this. International has offered training to breeders in the use of new research tools and techniques that allow the identification of promising plant genetic resources Evidence and experience adapted to the changing climate. Crop and rice diversification in Bhutan Apart from rice for household consumption, Pema Pema lives with her parents, husband and daughter, grows potatoes as her main cash crop. She also has a aged four, in a traditional Bhutanese farmhouse in garden with several vegetables, herbs and spices, such the village of Tsento, Shari, in the fertile Paro valley as beans, cabbage, spinach, broccoli, turnips, pumpkins, of the central western part of Bhutan. There are rapeseed, onions, mint and some maize. In addition, she about 50 households in the village, arranged in the has a small field with oats (which are increasingly used dispersed manner common in the country. Despite for fodder, replacing the more drought- and disease- this dispersion, agriculture continues to depend on prone wheat), several fields with various types of chili cooperation among villagers throughout the year. peppers (for home consumption and for the market), Pema explains: and an orchard with apples and peaches. Pema is the first farmer in the locality to have a greenhouse. She “Right now is the rice transplanting season. has been selected by the Agricultural Extension Centre Transplanting is done by teams of women. First, to cultivate vegetables in the greenhouse because of the men plow the land which is flooded before her willingness to collaborate on new projects. She has planted tomatoes, cucumber, chilies, climbing beans, transplanting. Neighbors work together to finish salad and amaranth, among others. If the greenhouse the work on time, going from the field or fields of is successful, it will give her more diverse produce one household to the field of another. Nowadays, throughout the year and she will be able to sell some of most of the household[s] cultivate a variety that the harvest at the market. Constraints to success Farming in Gumbu The villagers face several problems. Pema says: Two pilot community seedbanks have been set up so far: one in Gumbu village of Limpopo “A major problem we have is wild boars. They come Province in the northeast and one in the from the forest during the night and invade our Sterkspruit district of Eastern Cape province fields. They dig up the potatoes and empty a field in the southeast. Gumbu is a remote dryland in one ‘haul’. We have to stay overnight in the fields village situated about 150 km from Mutale town to chase them away, but it is not easy. One of my near the border with Zimbabwe. It has poor potato fields was invaded some days ago; the boar market access and is far away from government devoured all the potato seeds. When the maize is agencies and services. Farming in Gumbu is largely practiced by women. Some of the men ripening, they will return. They also like rice and look after the livestock in areas surrounding the oats. That is why all our rice fields are fenced.” village, but many have migrated out in search of paid work. The main food crops are maize, Another major problem is drought. Pema observes: white sorghum, calabash, cowpea, pumpkin “Drought is affecting us in a severe way. For the and melon. These crops are mostly used for rice, we still have irrigation water, but the reduced household consumption. Women also cultivate a variety of vegetables, such as cabbage, squash, inflow has already caused some tensions between onion, sweet potato, tomato and chili. These households that depend on the same source. The crops are mostly sold at the market. Crop varietal drought could cause the non-flowering of the diversity at farm level is not very high, but some potatoes and thus their loss. That would be a serious farmers maintain rare varieties. However, some setback for me. The vegetables, oat[s] and maize are traditional varieties have disappeared from the also suffering. I hope the rains will come soon.” village. Seed exchange mostly takes place within the family and with fellow church members. Crop and variety conservation in South Women running the show Africa The Gumbu village community seed bank is South Africa’s Department of Agriculture, Forestry managed and operated by a group of 40 women and Fisheries (DAFF), through the Directorate Genetic farmers. The women farmers of Gumbu contend Resources and in collaboration with Bioversity that the community seed bank will allow them International, has initiated a national community to maintain a range of different crop species seedbank strategy to support local smallholder and varieties inherited from their parents. communities in efforts to revive and improve Maintaining crop diversity not only supports their traditional seed-saving practices. It aims to their households in terms of food supply, but promote food security, sustainable agriculture and also gives them satisfaction and allows them conservation of the country’s agricultural biodiversity to earn some extra cash. They expressed that at the local and national levels. This is especially exchange of seeds among farmers of different important in areas where farming systems are communities and cultures will help to stop the subsistence oriented, deeply connected to local food loss of crop diversity that is occurring in the area. culture and situated in complex, risk-prone low- The women farmers running the community input environments. In a community seedbank, local seedbank are giving priority to nutritious crops varieties are collected and the related indigenous that taste good and are easy to combine with knowledge documented. Then, they are stored, traditional dishes. In terms of agronomy, they are multiplied and shared. A community seedbank doing everything possible to maintain crops and represents a simple community-based solution for varieties that require few inputs, are drought-, improving access to, and availability of, plant genetic pest- and disease-resistant, and have a short resources and safeguarding these in case of adversity. growing cycle and long-term storage quality. Recommendations • encourage the safeguarding and improvement of local plant species and varieties maintained by smallholder The examples of Bhutan and South Africa illustrate farmers and their communities, recognizing the central the key role of women farmers in local climate change role of women; adaptation efforts and how these efforts in turn are • value and reward farmers’ collective efforts to safeguard changing local agro-ecological and socioeconomic and improve agricultural biodiversity and associated landscapes. Yet, research and development programs cultural values and knowledge; and projects pay insufficient attention to the • support farmers technically and financially to organize successes and challenges of such farmers’ efforts. themselves and strengthen their organizational capacity, More attention and support is needed to: taking into consideration the leadership role of women. Further reading Bhutan http://www.bioversityinternational.org/news/detail/rural-bhutanese-farmer-pema-faces-climate-change-with-a-cornucopia-of- agricultural-biodiversity/ South Africa http://www.bioversityinternational.org/news/detail/seed-savers-of-gumbu/ http://www.bioversityinternational.org/news/detail/rural-bhutanese-farmer-pema-faces-climate-change-with-a-cornucopia-of- agricultural-biodiversity/ http://www.bioversityinternational.org/news/detail/supporting-community-seedbanks-in-south-africa/ http://www.bioversityinternational.org/news/detail/powerful-crops-empowering-farmers-through-community-seed-banks-in- south-africa/ http://www.bioversityinternational.org/e-library/publications/detail/savouring-diversity-first-steps-in-implementing-a-strategy- to-support-community-seedbanks-in-south-africas-smallholder-farming-areas/ Author Ronnie Vernooy, Bioversity International Photo by Aulia Erlangga for Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) A tea picker from Cianten, within the boundaries of Mount Halimun Salak National Park in West Java, collecting tea leaves in a basket. This brief is number 1 in a set of Gender Climate Briefs. See the full set here: CIFOR.org/gender-climate Produced by CIFOR as part of the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (CRP- FTA). This collaborative program aims to enhance the management and use of forests, agroforestry and tree genetic resources across the landscape from forests to farms. CIFOR leads CRP-FTA in partnership with Bioversity International, CATIE, CIRAD, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture and the World Agroforestry Centre. Fund Gender Brief 2 Changing the climate Why gender matters to achieving equitable sustainable development Achieving sustainable development and food The problem and nutrition security in a changing climate requires addressing the fundamental issue While it is believed women produce 60–80% of gender inequality whilst building the of the food in developing countries, worldwide adaptive capacity of both men and women1. 2 Here we review lessons from practical they only own 10–20% of agricultural land . approaches to integrating gender into Rural women are particularly vulnerable to community-based adaptation and food and the impacts of climate change due to limited nutrition security in Ghana and Bangladesh. access and control over resources fundamental to adaptation and limited participation in decision-making processes. Similarly, they lack equal access to productive resources needed Key messages for agricultural livelihoods, and are often the last to eat when food is scarce. However, women should not be viewed only as victims; they have • Understanding the interconnected factors shaping valuable skills and knowledge that contribute the aspirations of men and women, and their capacity to successful adaptation and play a key role in to adapt, is critical for designing, implementing and ensuring the food and nutrition security of their monitoring effective and appropriate adaptation measures. • Tackling the entrenched drivers of vulnerability and gender households and communities. inequality that limit women’s ability to adapt is essential for achieving equitable sustainable development. • Investing in women’s economic empowerment is a key contributing factor to building household and community resilience. 1 CARE and Foodtank. 2015. Cultivating equality: Delivering 2 FAO. 2015. Why gender: Key facts. Rome: FAO. http:// just and sustainable food systems in a changing climate. http:// www.fao.org/gender/gender-home/gender-why/key-facts/ careclimatechange.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/CARE-Food-Tank- en/ accessed September 24, 2015; FAO. 2011 State of Food CCAFS_Report_Cultivating-Equality.pdf and Agriculture. Rome: FAO. Context Ghana – Closing the gender gap to reap economic and social empowerment It is critical that efforts to address women’s dividends empowerment are not limited to women-only In many countries, laws and customs still deny women focused strategies that could add to their workloads land ownership or access to credit. In these countries, without commensurate rights over decision-making malnutrition amongst children is between 60 and 85% or benefits. These kinds of strategies can further higher than in countries permitting women and men entrench gender inequality. A transformative equal rights and access. If women had equal access to approach recognizes that focusing on women alone resources (land, education, credit, etc.) as men, 100–150 is unlikely to result in sustainable strengthening of million fewer people would be hungry5. Therefore, both adaptive capacity; instead it challenges existing power sustained access to productive assets, and good health, structures and aims to move the bar on inequitable are central to climate change adaptation and food and social norms. Without challenging underlying nutrition security in rural areas. causes of gender inequality such as early marriage and pregnancy, cultural norms of male dominated Program interventions decision making or restrictions on women’s mobility, or the lack of value placed on women’s contributions • Village savings and loans associations and knowledge, the chances of achieving sustainable (VSLAs) build women’s economic and social development and food and nutrition security are empowerment by providing access to credit minimal3. to support income-generating activities or household costs. • Participatory scenario planning6 (PSP) forums Evidence and experience provide people with access to livelihoods advisories based on the seasonal weather To address gender inequality CARE uses the following forecast aiding decision-making. strategies to integrate an understanding of local • Farmer field and business field schools provide gender dynamics and inequalities into its activities: experiential learning and training on sustainable • Conducting standalone gender analysis exercises agriculture practices, market engagement, at various stages during program activities. gender and equity, nutrition, and group • Integrating gender into participatory analysis of empowerment. climate vulnerability for effective local adaptation • Community adaptation action plans7 allow planning. For example, carrying out a climate men, women and communities to prioritize vulnerability and capacity analysis (CVCA)4, risk and make collective decisions on new which ensures the participation of both men and or improved actions they can take to build women, and asks questions about gender issues household or community resilience to the in climate adaptation. impacts of climate change. • Integrating gender analysis information into adaptive management of activities throughout the program cycle. 5 FAO. 2011. Women in agriculture: Closing the gender gap for development. Rome: FAO. http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/i2050e/ i2050e00.htm 6 ALP. 2012. Decision making for climate resilient livelihoods and 3 ALP. 2015 Gender dynamics in a changing climate: how gender risk reduction: a participatory scenario planning approach CARE and adaptive capacity affect resilience. CARE International http:// International. http://www.care.org/sites/default/files/documents/CC- careclimatechange.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Gender-and- 2011-ALP_PSP_Brief.pdf Adaptation-Learning-Brief.pdf 7 ALP. 2014. Adaptation planning with communities: Practitioner 4 CARE. 2009. Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Handbook. CARE brief 1. CARE International. http://careclimatechange.org/wp- International. http://careclimatechange.org/tool-kits/cvca/ content/uploads/2014/08/CBA_Planning_Brief.pdf Results/impact technology, technical support and capacity • New respect and support for women’s roles building all contribute to building resilient and their contribution to the household. An agricultural livelihoods. example is men giving women access to land • Disaster and climate risk management: now they realize women are economically building awareness and capacity through and technically able to make good use of community-based adaptation and emergency it through access to credit (through VSLAs), response to prevent the reversal of other seasonal forecasts and improved agricultural development gains. inputs and practices. • Gender empowerment: through VSLAs, • Diversification into less ‘climate sensitive’ empowerment, knowledge and transformative livelihoods such as handicrafts or petty trading action (EKATA) groups and leadership and using funds saved in VSLAs. decision-making training. • Greater social empowerment for women – VSLAs build group solidarity and promote Results/impact self-confidence and self-reliance that fosters • Families’ dietary diversity nearly doubled, and changes in women’s behavior. For example, the number of children aged 6–23 months they have an increased voice in decision- who had an adequate diet rose from 8% to making processes, making household 50%. The number of stunted children dropped decisions collaboratively with men, access to 13 percentage points, more than double the public spaces and use of mobile phones. national average8. • The number of months per year that families spend 9 Bangladesh – Tackling the twin without enough food dropped from 6.1 to 1 . challenges of food and nutrition security • Women are three times more involved in income and climate change through women’s generating activities, 15 percent more likely to empowerment control their earnings, and 2.5 times more likely to access ante-natal care10. Bangladesh, the world’s most densely populated country, consists almost entirely of low-lying shoreline and river delta. It is extremely vulnerable to flooding, drought and climate change. Coupled with this, Bangladesh faces a persistent challenge of child malnutrition, which can permanently impair a child’s physical and cognitive development. CARE’s interventions in the country aim to tackle both issues while focusing on gender equality – which is central to achieving success. Program interventions • Health, hygiene and nutrition: promoting more food during pregnancy, exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months and increases in immunizations to reduce malnourishment and negative health impacts among the most vulnerable. • Agriculture and livelihoods: agriculture sector productivity or food security training, 8 Smith LC et al. 2015. Quantitative Impact Evaluation of the SHOUHARDO II Project in Bangladesh. Tucson, AZ: TANGO, International. linkages with local government and the 9 Ibid. private sector, access to information and new 10 Ibid. Recommendations • Invest in context-specific analysis to understand movement, which impact on women’s ability the interconnected factors shaping the to adapt. aspirations of men and women and their ability to • Invest in information communication adapt in order to design effective and appropriate technologies and in addressing women’s higher adaptation action. levels of illiteracy as a critical driver of change in • Invest in improving women’s economic gender relations and adaptive capacity. empowerment in the face of climate change • Tackle the entrenched drivers of vulnerability to address the way resources and labor are and gender inequality, such as poor access to distributed and valued in the economy. health services and reproductive and sexual • Focus on identifying and overcoming the cultural health information in order to remove barriers and social constraints, such as limited freedom of to successful adaptation. Author Nicola Ward, CARE International Photo by CARE International This brief is number 2 in a set of Gender Climate Briefs. See the full set here: CIFOR.org/gender-climate Produced by CIFOR as part of the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (CRP- FTA). This collaborative program aims to enhance the management and use of forests, agroforestry and tree genetic resources across the landscape from forests to farms. CIFOR leads CRP-FTA in partnership with Bioversity International, CATIE, CIRAD, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture and the World Agroforestry Centre. Fund Gender Brief 3 Climate change, policy change Five policy lessons to support women farmers in a changing climate This brief highlights policy The problem lessons on providing support to women farmers, Climate change demands new approaches to agriculture: and offers guidelines for farmers’ practices will need to change to adapt to and crafting gender-responsive mitigate the effects of changing conditions. Addressing climate policies at global gender inequality is key to ensuring this outcome. Agriculture and national levels. is a fundamental part of women’s livelihoods globally, most markedly in least developed countries, where four-fifths of economically active women report agriculture as their primary economic activity1. More women are moving into agriculture as men move elsewhere for seasonal or paid labor. Yet women farmers have less access to inputs and resources that could Key messages improve their farming and meet climate change challenges2. Policies, institutions and services aimed at helping farmers • New technologies must be appropriate develop approaches to tackle climate change will need to to women’s resources and demands. produce results for men and women farmers. This brief provides • Extension and climate information five policy lessons to support this process, based on evidence services need to serve women and men. from research in low- and middle-income countries. • Institutions must address women’s priorities. • Women’s innovation processes need to be recognized and supported. • Policy-making processes must include women’s voices. 1 Doss C. 2011. If women hold up half the sky, how much of the world’s food do they produce? ESA Working Paper No. 11–04. Rome: Agricultural Development Economic Division, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. Available at: http://bit.ly/1MDIrgW 2 [FAO] Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2011. The state of food and agriculture 2010–2011. Women in agriculture: Closing the gender gap for development. Rome: FAO. Available at: http://bit.ly/LL9mfR Evidence and experience community adaptation capacity. Women’s community-based organizations (CBOs) can be New technologies and agricultural practices effective providers of information and services, filling can help farmers meet the challenges of the gap between services that formal organizations climate change. However, women and men provide and the issues that women prioritize. often have different on-farm responsibilities and do not always have equal access to assets, Given space and opportunity, women can time and resources (e.g. secure access to land, be effective innovators in addressing climate water, information or finances) that enable challenges – identifying and designing new them to take advantage of new technologies or technologies and adapting existing ones to meet practices and participate in community-based their needs. But capacity to innovate alone is not climate adaptation practices3. enough; an enabling environment must support women’s innovation processes by providing access Women tend to have less access to formal to facilities, services and incentives. For example, as agricultural extension services because they are the effects of climate change intensify, rural markets not always seen as farmers. For example, fewer will expand for products and services that support women attend community extension meetings climate resilience. Understanding and recognizing or visit demonstration plots4. Women also tend women’s participation in value chains and ensuring to have less access to radio, mobile phones the private sector addresses gender inequalities and other media, and access information in market access and climate change insurance in different ways than men. Using multiple initiatives are important. channels to reach women may be more effective, e.g. radio, extension events, SMS, Women’s voices are not always evident in decision- voice messages, community groups, health making processes in agriculture. When women clinics and schools5. Women may also need are present, they tend to form a minority within different information than men because of their leadership and in consultative processes. National different responsibilities, needs, interests and policies and laws do not always translate well constraints. to the local level for reasons of discriminatory socio-cultural norms and laws, low visibility of Institutions involved in climate change women’s work, limits on education and income, adaptation and mitigation need to address and caregiving responsibilities. Increasing women’s the different concerns of women and men. voices at all levels of policy-making can lead to a This may include broadening the focus of more equitable distribution of the benefits and costs food security activities beyond agricultural of climate change policies and programs, while productivity to include income-generation improving their efficacy and sustainability. activities, financial services and strengthening Gender-responsive climate policy 3 Behrman JA, Bryan E and Goh A. 2014. Gender, climate change, and group-based approaches to adaptation. In: Ringler C, Quisumbing AR, Bryan E, Meinzen-Dick R, eds. Policy needs to ensure women and men benefit Enhancing Women’s Assets to Manage Risk under Climate Change: Potential for Group-based Approaches. Climate from climate policy implementation, addressing Change, Collective Action and Women’s Assets. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. 3–8. women’s aspirations and priorities specifically, and 4 [IFPRI] World Bank, International Food Policy Research developed through processes that listen to women’s Institute. 2010. Gender and Governance in Rural Services: voices and incorporate women’s contributions along Insights from India, Ghana, and Ethiopia. Washington, DC: World Bank; International Food Policy Research Institute. with those of men. 5 Tall A, Kristjanson P, Chaudhury M, McKune S and Zougmore R. 2014. Who gets the information? Gender, power and equity considerations in the design of climate services for Gender equality should be addressed in climate farmers. CCAFS Working Paper No. 89. Copenhagen: CGIAR change policy and programming at all levels. The Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). Available at: http://bit.ly/1YLZtzZ United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Policy lessons Change (UNFCCC) and its subsidiary processes and working groups can and should lead by example 1. New technologies should be to ensure that women are represented and heard appropriate to women’s resources at the very top of the international climate policy and demands. Women and men have process. Systems need to go beyond ensuring adequate numerical representation of women different resources, constraints and towards mechanisms for raising the voice and priorities. Agricultural interventions to credibility of women in policy processes. For help farmers adapt to climate change example, the UNFCCC should institutionalize ‘he must be appropriate to these resources for she’ mechanisms, to encourage men to actively and demands. promote women’s voices. 2. Extension and climate information services need to serve women and men. Women and men often have Key policy areas different information needs, channels Gender considerations should be incorporated into of communication, and access to at least three key areas of climate change policies information and extension services. and programs: Extension and climate services need to • Inclusion of gender dimensions as part of the be adapted to their specific needs. qualifying criteria for accessing international 3. Institutions must address women’s funding channels (such as REDD+, Green priorities. Institutions supporting farmers Climate Fund, Clean Development Mechanism, to improve their food security under Adaptation Fund and Nationally Appropriate climate change need to address broader Mitigation Actions). Organizations and priorities beyond agriculture that are countries applying for such funds should be asked to identify how programs and relevant to the concerns of both men and interventions will affect women, and how women. Cooperation among ministries they will ensure that interventions will benefit and partnerships with civil society, women as well as men. universities and CBOs may have greater • Needs assessments that explicitly distinguish reach in addressing women’s priorities. between women’s and men’s priorities and 4. Women’s innovation processes need opportunities should inform policy and to be recognized and supported. program design. This should be a prerequisite Women farmers need to be recognized for any national policy and program that is carried out under the auspices of UNFCCC- as effective innovators with specific mediated processes. priorities and interests. They should be • Gender indicators should be incorporated into partners in identifying and designing the monitoring and assessment of program appropriate labor-saving tools. implementation and impacts. These need to 5. Policy-making processes must include be indicators of real change – increased control women’s voices. Agricultural policy, of productive assets, participation in decision law and decision-making processes at making, knowledge, awareness, empowerment and improved economic status for women and all levels – from community groups to men. Gender indicators need to go beyond international processes – will be more measuring the representation of women in effective and relevant if they include both climate change processes – women need to be women and men. actively involved in defining and monitoring implementation and impacts. This brief is adapted from: Huyer S, Twyman J, Koningstein M, Ashby J and Vermeulen S. 2015. Supporting women farmers in a changing climate: five lessons. CCAFS Policy brief no. 10. Copenhagen, Denmark: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). https://cgspace.cgiar.org/rest/bitstreams/60479/retrieve The original research was presented in March 2015 at a seminar in Paris on ‘Closing the gender gap in farming under climate change’, co-organized by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), the International Social Science Council (ISSC) and Future Earth. Authors Sophia Huyer, Jennifer Twyman, Manon Koningstein, Sonja Vermeulen and Catherine Hill, CCAFS Photo by Tri Saputro for Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) A Lubuk Beringin villager walks home from the forest at Lubuk Beringin village, Bungo district, Jambi province, Indonesia. This brief is number 3 in a set of Gender Climate Briefs. See the full set here: CIFOR.org/gender-climate Produced by CIFOR as part of the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (CRP- FTA). This collaborative program aims to enhance the management and use of forests, agroforestry and tree genetic resources across the landscape from forests to farms. CIFOR leads CRP-FTA in partnership with Bioversity International, CATIE, CIRAD, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture and the World Agroforestry Centre. Fund Gender Brief 4 At the intersection of inequities Lessons learned from CIFOR’s work on gender and climate change adaptation in West Africa Gender is key to understanding how Why does gender matter for individuals’ and groups’ vulnerabilities and capacities to adapt and respond to climate climate change adaptation? change are shaped. Reducing gender to a comparison between women and men, Climate change will affect people differently however, risks painting an unclear picture. depending on their economic, environmental Effective and responsive adaptation planning cultural, and social situations and contexts. A needs to take into account the ways in which gender intersects with other factors, such as growing number of studies point to the need to ethnicity, economic assets and social status. recognize the importance of these differences as crucial to understanding vulnerability.1,2,3 Key messages To fully grasp the ways in which individual and group vulnerabilities and capacities to adapt and respond to climate change are shaped, an • Taking in account the specific needs of the most vulnerable – understanding of gender is critical. However, who are often women and girls – and examining issues surrounding their participation in decision-making are both mainstream approaches to gender are still needed to avoid exacerbating inequalities and advocating often characterized by oversimplifications and maladaptive actions and plans. assumptions. Reducing gender to a binary • Integrating gender into climate change adaptation is crucial, but the oversimplification of women as a homogenous group and the view of women as victims must first be overcome. 1 Adger WN and Kelly PM. 2001. Social vulnerability and • Exclusion and marginalisation are often a result of the resilience: Living with environmental change: social vulnerability, intersection of several context-specific determinants such adaptation and resilience in Vietnam. London, Routledge. as age, ethnic affiliation, origin and class. This needs to be 2 O’Brien K, Leichenko R, Kelkar U, Venema H, Aandahl G, Tompkins H, Javed A, Bhadwal S, Barg S, Nygaard L, West J. 2004. considered during vulnerability analysis and adaptation Mapping vulnerability to multiple stressors: climate change and planning. globalization in India. Global Environmental Change 14: 303–13. • Evidence-based and context-specific gendered vulnerability 3 Ribot J. 2010. Vulnerability does not fall from the sky: toward assessment is needed to specifically identify not only different multiscale, pro-poor climate policy. In: Mearns R and Norton A. Social dimensions of climate change: Equity and vulnerability in a needs and perceptions, but also different capacities to adapt. warming world. Washington, DC: World Bank. comparison of women and men risks painting an an oversimplification about the vulnerability of unnuanced – or even false – picture. This might women. This shift conflates two issues and suggests impede the effectiveness of adaptation planning and that women are a homogenous group, ignoring lead to unintended or harmful consequences, often important distinctions among women due to their affecting the most vulnerable groups or individuals. class, age, wealth, etc. This misguided assumption A vulnerability assessment that examines the ways in seems to still be common in climate change which gender intersects with other pertinent factors, and gender discussions, and may be leading to such as ethnicity, economic assets and social status, is misunderstanding of the specific important issues crucial to understanding differing vulnerabilities and that face female-headed households. capacities, and informing effective and responsive adaptation planning. Gendered landscapes: Shifts in ecosystems and in landscapes induce Vulnerability and adaptive capacity are also dynamic in shifts in social roles and activities nature. An adaptive strategy adopted by one group or individual can affect the adaptive capacity of another, CIFOR’s work in West Africa shows that women either positively or negatively. Yet a clear assessment often have different preferences, and priorities for of gender relations may be key to understanding adaptation and development than do men. They shifting adaptive capacities. It is increasingly evident often have different limits and opportunities for that in order to meet climate and other development adapting to climate change in forest- and tree-based challenges, integrating considerations of gender into livelihoods. adaptation plans, policies and actions at all levels is necessary. We cannot hope to avoid exacerbating Some of the important lessons we have learned inequalities and advocating maladaptive actions and come from several CIFOR projects carried out in plans, if we do not understand and recognize the Africa’s Sahel. This region is currently experiencing specific needs of the most vulnerable (who are often complex economic changes (e.g. markets shifts), women and girls) and issues of their participation in political changes (e.g. decentralisation and changes decision making. in land tenure), and climatic changes and variability (e.g. droughts). Since the severe droughts of the 1980s, scientists have studied the local livelihood Evidence and experience strategies developed in reaction to external stressors. Livelihoods have undergone a continuous process of Beyond victimisation: Towards evidence- coping with environmental, economic, and political based vulnerability assessment stressors, by adjusting their strategies or adopting new ones.4 Under environmental uncertainty and To ensure that CIFOR’s work focuses on issues high spatial variability in precipitation, pastoralists critical to advancing equitable adaptation, we have developed flexible individual and collective reviewed the literature on differences in how men strategies for coping in reaction to shocks. and women experience climate change-related problems. Most studies that conclude women are Specifically, our studies in Mali and Burkina Faso more vulnerable than men are based on comparisons show: (i) cultural and social norms determine the between female- and male-headed households. strategies women and men can adopt, and (ii) While there is evidence that households headed strategies adopted by one group can affect the by women do indeed tend to suffer greater losses other. For instance migration is a strategy adopted in the face of climate-related shocks, this finding mostly by men. However this strategy has an impact revealed that, somewhere along the way an unwarranted shift occurred in the “vulnerability discourse”. That is, evidence on the vulnerability of 4 Brooks N, Grist N and Brown K. 2009. Development futures female-headed households was transformed into in the context of climate change: challenging the present and learning from the past. Development Policy Review 27: 741–65. on women’s adaptive capacity, as they must take into our studies of gender and climate change. over men’s tasks. It also increases the vulnerability This approach calls for an integration of several of other groups, especially children. Results in factors in the gender analysis and asks how Northern Mali show that households experiencing various biological, social and cultural categories migration tend to stop educating their children – determine identities, interact on multiple and often especially girls – because of the increased workload simultaneous levels, and contribute to systematic that stems from the outmigration of men. Tasks social marginalization and inequality. that children take on often include livestock herding, fetching water and fuelwood, and other One example of the implementation of basic livelihood activities. On the other hand, we intersectional gender analysis in Mali shows also observe that due to the migration of men, surprising vulnerability dynamics. Pastoral women may take the opportunity to engage in communities in Lake Faguibine in Northern Mali previous male-dominated sectors, resulting in the mostly belong to the Illelan social group. This so-called feminization of certain activities. group is traditionally the highest-ranked in the hierarchical Tamacheq society. Despite their higher This shift has been seen, for instance, in the societal roles, Illelan women seem to face more charcoal production and livestock sectors in many barriers as they diversify their livelihoods than do CIFOR study sites in West Africa. Overall, women’s lower-ranked Iklan women. One important strategy workloads usually increase due to an extreme adopted by Iklan women is charcoal production. climate event (drought) and because of gendered This livelihood activity is not practiced by Illelan responses to it. But some climate change-induced women. Cultural and societal barriers related to effects on women are still unclear. An important identities and hierarchical roles hinder women in question that remains is how women’s new Illelan communities from producing charcoal, as roles and responsibilities may affect and change this activity is perceived as “beneath them”. power relationships within the households and communities. We also observe that Illelan women experience stronger mobility restrictions and seclusion than Our research suggests that the emerging new Iklan women. They are therefore more constrained societal roles could empower women to negotiate in taking advantage of new opportunities. Social new institutional arrangements to access and class was identified in several societies as a control resources. However, despite the active roles determining factor of women’s seclusion, mobility women often take in developing new adaptive and autonomy, and seclusion and mobility strategies, they are frequently impeded by insecure restrictions of upper status women were reported land tenure and social restrictions on their access in different contexts in North Africa, Middle East to markets. and Afghanistan.5 Beyond men and women: The intersectional nature of inequities Another important lesson we learned through our work on adaptation in West Africa is that differences in vulnerabilities cannot be easily divided into male and female categories. This simplistic dichotomy cannot capture the range of complexities and the dynamics of vulnerability. Other factors like age, wealth, class and ethnic affiliation are often crucial. Therefore, we integrated 5 Moghadam VM. 2003. Modernizing women: Gender and social change in the Middle East. Boulder, CO, USA: Lynne Rienner an emerging concept called “intersectionality” Publishers. Conclusions and recommendations • Gender relations, roles and perceptions are changing • Adaptation planning must take into account the specific at the local level, furthered by environmental and needs of the most vulnerable – who are often women and climate change impacts and the adaptation process to girls – as well as issues of their participation in decision them. Impacts and responses to climate changes are making in order to avoid exacerbating inequalities and changing gender roles and relations on the ground. advocating maladaptive actions and plans. • The emerging new societal roles and responsibilities • Gender-sensitive analyses of climate change tend to initially increase workloads of women and vulnerability and strengths must be based on solid children. However, in the long run these changes research and should consider more complex, horizontal could empower women to negotiate new institutional (inter-community) and vertical (national, regional, local) arrangements to access and control resources. distinctions. Further reading Brockhaus, M., Djoudi, H., and Locatelli, B. (2013). Envisioning the future and learning from the past: Adapting to a changing environment in northern Mali. Environmental Science & Policy, 25, 94-106. Djoudi, H., Brockhaus, M., and Locatelli, B. (2013). Once there was a lake: vulnerability to environmental changes in northern Mali. Regional Environmental Change, 13(3), 493-508. Djoudi, H., and Brockhaus, M. (2011). Is adaptation to climate change gender neutral? Lessons from communities dependent on livestock and forests in northern Mali. International Forestry Review, 13(2), 123-135. Author Houria Djoudi, Scientist, Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) Photo by Ollivier Girard for Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) Ugwono Pauline planting Gnetum (okok) in the village of Minwoho, Lekié, Center Region, Cameroon. This brief is number 4 in a set of Gender Climate Briefs. See the full set here: CIFOR.org/gender-climate This research was carried out by CIFOR as part of the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (CRP-FTA). This collaborative program aims to enhance the management and use of forests, agroforestry and tree genetic resources across the landscape from forests to farms. CIFOR leads CRP-FTA in partnership with Bioversity International, CATIE, CIRAD, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture and the World Agroforestry Centre. Fund Gender Brief 5 Gender mainstreaming in REDD+ and PES Lessons learned from Vietnam Gender mainstreaming in REDD+ The problem and PES requires not only a policy on gender equity, but also political will and sufficient capacity in Vietnam was the first country in Asia to initiate the government agencies at various national Payment for Forest Environmental Services levels of governance. (PFES) and is one of the countries under UN-REDD and the World Bank Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF). Gender equity is supported by most natiwonal laws and strategies, including the national REDD+ program Key messages and Forest Protection and Development Law 2014. The Constitution of Vietnam emphasizes the principle of • Many policies emphasize the need for gender equality and specifically prohibits the violation gender equity and the importance of of women’s rights. However, in 2013, women accounted mainstreaming gender into REDD+ and PES, for only 10–12 percent of registrations of agricultural but limited guidance is given on how gender land-use certificates and often have limited awareness should be addressed in forestry policies. of their rights to access land and practice traditional • Although several women are represented customs. Despite the political vision and commitment, in the Vietnam National REDD+ Steering mainstreaming gender into REDD+ and PES in Vietnam Committee, they need to take a more active has not been successful to date, and continues to pose a role in order to influence policy outcomes. challenge for policy makers.1 • Many REDD+ projects and PES national programs have proposed benefit-sharing This brief synthesizes major challenges that are occurring mechanisms, but not enough effort has at different government levels in an attempt to translate been made to understand women’s political commitment on gender equitable REDD+ into preferences for receiving PES and REDD+ payments. This has led to ineffective, reality. It is based on research findings from the Global inefficient and inequitable implementation Comparative Study on REDD+ (see http://www.cifor.org/ of both REDD+ and PES. gcs/), the Global Comparative Study on REDD+ Benefit • Despite the existence of several information Sharing (www.cifor.org/redd-benefit-sharing) and the channels related to PES and REDD+, many ASEAN Social Forestry Network (http://www.cifor.org/ women lack access to these channels. asfcc/) conducted in Vietnam since 2009. Evidence and experience Provincial and district level There are many political commitments to mainstreaming National level gender in REDD+ and PES, but there is little evidence that Many policies emphasize the need for gender equity and these commitments are being translated into policy and the importance of mainstreaming gender into REDD+ and concrete actions. PES, but limited guidance is given on how gender should Findings show that the interest, knowledge and willingness be addressed in forestry policies. to mainstream gender into REDD+ and PES is weaker among Gender equity and the role of women in forest protection local governing bodies compared with national agencies. and development has been acknowledged in numerous Of the provincial government actors who were interviewed, legal frameworks and policies such as the Law on Gender only one indicated a willingness to mainstream gender Equality, the National Strategy on Gender Equality (2011– into the socioeconomic development plan and provincial 2020), the national REDD+ strategy, the Land Law, Law on REDD+ action plan. One provincial government interviewee Forest Protection and Development, the National Strategy explained: “The central government requested us to and Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women and mainstreaming gender into REDD+ but it is unclear how this the Vietnam MDGs, and the gender strategy of the Ministry mainstreaming should be done. … Moreover, gender has of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). Yet, the to come at second place as we have more important issues country still faces many challenges to implementation. All to take care of such as MRV, improve legal framework on local authorities and donors interviewed argued that the institutional setting.” major barriers to mainstreaming gender in PES and REDD+ are the lack of guidance from the central government on Although several leadership positions are open to women, how to translate and implement them. An interviewee few are eligible to apply for these positions. from provincial government stated: “As much as we [want] In many provinces, the provincial government has set up to mainstream gender into PES and REDD+, we do not a target of more than 30 percent representation by female know how to translate these concepts on the ground. We provincial leaders. However, only 5–10 percent of such need more clear guidance”. positions are currently filled by women. This low figure, according to many interviewees, is mainly due to three Although several women are represented in the Vietnam key factors: lack of political will to include women in the National REDD+ Steering Committee, they need to take a management group; biased recruitment and promotion more active role in order to influence policy outcomes. protocol which prefers men to women, and; the lack of In 2012, only 2 of the 15 members of the national REDD+ confidence amongst women candidates. According to steering committee were women; by 2015, this had risen our interviewees, the poor representation of women also to 50 percent. But there is doubt about whether this holds for central government such as MARD. By November will lead to increased participation by – and influence 2011, women held only 24.4 percent of seats in national of – women on final outcomes. Most of the women parliament; thus the target of 30 percent set out in the participating in REDD+ discussions reported that they National Strategy for the Advancement of Vietnamese focused on representing the their organizational interests Women to 2010 was not met. Women’s representation at and as such do not have a gender mandate. They do not lower levels of government, such as in People’s Councils or see themselves as gender champions, do not promote at the provincial or district level, reaches 20–24 percent, but gender topics in policy debates, nor do they prioritize women comprise only 1–4 percent of leadership positions. gender mainstreaming. Commune/village level Many organizations are identified as influential actors in shaping REDD+ and PES policy, but only a small number of In our village study site, women have a stronger motivation those organization are represented by women. and willingness to participate in PES and REDD+. For A total of 52 organizations are identified as influential example, in Nghe An district, men often migrate to big cities actors in shaping REDD+ and PES policy, but only 30 or overseas for higher incomes and hence are not engaged percent of those actors are women. Among these, 95 in PES and REDD+ schemes, which in comparison offer very percent come from local civil society organizations (CSOs) limited benefits. Women – on the other hand – remain in the and international NGOs and only 5 percent are from village and show a strong motivation to participate in PES government agencies.2 This indicates there is limited scope and REDD+. Key factors motivating women to participate for women to influence policy outcomes, especially since are increased household food security, the opportunity for the most influential actor in Vietnam is the government.3,4 additional income, and access to social network such as women’s unions and farmers’ associations to obtain loans and technical support. However, insufficient efforts have been Many social organizations are mandated to represent made by local governments to involve women in PES and women’s interest and voice in decision making in both REDD+ schemes. social economic development and environmental protection policies at all levels, but they do not perform Inadequate understanding of women’s interests and this role efficiently. preferences with respect to REDD+ and PES payments Our research findings show that at village and commune result in ineffective, inefficient and inequitable level, the Women’s Union is formally recognized to act implementation of REDD+ and PES. on behalf of women’s interest, to bring women’s voice Our researching findings highlight that women and men to political and social discussions, and support women have different perceptions and preferences with respect to access to social programs and microcredit programs. to benefit sharing mechanisms. For example, while men However, these unions tend to also have a political prefer PES and REDD+ cash payments, women prefer in- mandate to support government policies and less so to kind payments such as rice and tree seedlings, as well as identify and tackle shortcomings in existing policies and technical support and training on financial management governance structures with regard to gender. Therefore, and market access. However, the current proposed most of the women interviewed in our study see the benefit-sharing mechanism under both existing REDD+ need to improve the representation of women’s interests pilot projects and national PES program adopts a uniform in REDD+ and PES policy design and implementation. approach for both men and women, and also ignores differences in preferences within the two gender groups due to the different ethnic backgrounds. For example, in the delta where infrastructure and market access are often already established, women’s key interest in PES schemes is access to loans and further market development, while for women in more remote areas the main motivation is to cover basic food security needs. As a result, women are not able to enjoy the benefits derived from PES payments, Recommendations which are mostly in the form of cash and often managed by men, in turn leading to lower willingness to participate • Detailed guidance on how gender the scheme over time. There have been attempts to tackle mainstreaming should be carried out at those issues in the first trial of Free Prior and Informed provincial, district and commune level, coupled Consent in Lam Dong province. However, under this with clear indicators for monitoring the design, women are still treated as a homogenous group. implementation of government commitments to the increased participation of women in Market information on PES and REDD+ is available and decision-making positions, is essential.5 exchanged at village level through various channels. • At national and provincial levels, increasing the However, women are often not able to access many of target number for women’s representation in those channels. leadership roles and on management boards is Our research findings indicated that there are six major a good start, but policies and measures as well channels through which local people can obtain as incentives structures inside the institutions information and market information on PES and REDD+: should be in place to encourage the true from friends outside villages, through government participation of women.3,6 Local CSOs and agencies (e.g. extension officers, national parks), mass international NGOs that already have women organizations (e.g. farmers’ associations, youth’s unions), champions and play an active role in influencing local NGOs working in the areas, traders and middle REDD+ and PES debates can catalyze these men. However, women’s mobility in the study area changes. was restricted due to patriarchal traditions and family • At the village and commune levels, REDD+ responsibilities. Women often only speak local languages, and PES programs need to: consider women’s while most of the information on REDD+ and PES was preferences and interests in participating in PES available only in Kinh (the language of the dominant and REDD+; tailor benefit-sharing mechanisms, ethnic group). Channels available for women to access access to information and resources, and information on PES and REDD+ were therefore restricted; governance structure to address those the only accessible information channel was through preferences and interests; and strengthen mass organizations such as women’s unions, farmers’ women’s willingness to provide environmental associations and youth unions. services.7 References 1 Pham TT, Moeliono M, NguyenTH, Nguyen H.T., Vu T.H. 2012. The context of REDD+ in Vietnam: Drivers, agents and institutions. Occasional Paper 75. Bogor, Indonesia: CIFOR. 2 Mai HY, Pham TT, Moeliono M, Brockhaus M. Forthcoming. Gender and Women’s Participation in REDD+ National Decision- Making in Vietnam. International Forestry Review. 3 Pham TT, Di Gregorio M, Carmenta R, Brockhaus M and Le DN. 2014a. The REDD+ policy arena in Vietnam: participation of policy actors. Ecology and Society 19(2): 22. http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-06389-190222 4 Brockhaus M, Di Gregorio M and Carmenta R. 2014. REDD+ policy networks: exploring actors and power structures in an emerging policy domain. Ecology and Society 19(4): 29. http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-07098-190429 5 Huyer S, Twyman J, Koningstein M, Ashby J and Vermeulen S. 2015. Supporting women farmers in a changing climate: Five policy lessons. CCAFS Policy Brief no. 10. 6 Mai HY, Mwangi E and Wan M. 2011. Gender analysis in forestry research: looking back and thinking ahead. International Forestry Review 13(2):245–58. 7 Pham TT, Moeliono M, Brockhaus M, Le ND, Wong YG, Le MT. 2014b. Local preferences and strategies for effective, efficient, and equitable distribution of PES revenues in Vietnam: Lessons for REDD+. Human Ecology 42(6):885. Authors Thu Thuy Pham and Maria Brockhaus, Scientist, Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) Photo by Ricky Martin for Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) Rosita, a 3 year old girl, showing a cabbage seed to be planted in the nursery area. This brief is number 5 in a set of Gender Climate Briefs. See the full set here: CIFOR.org/gender-climate This research was carried out by CIFOR as part of the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (CRP-FTA). This collaborative program aims to enhance the management and use of forests, agroforestry and tree genetic resources across the landscape from forests to farms. CIFOR leads CRP-FTA in partnership with Bioversity International, CATIE, CIRAD, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture and the World Agroforestry Centre. Fund Gender Brief 6 Catalyzing sustainable and just change through funding Overview and key recommendations from Climate Justice and Women’s Rights: A Guide to Supporting Grassroots Women’s Action By responding to the climate The problem solutions proposed by local women around the world, funders can Efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change catalyze long-term change that benefits the environment and entire that exclude women’s input and perspectives communities. are unsustainable and often detrimental to the environment, women’s rights and entire communities. It is particularly unfortunate, then, Key messages that women are less likely than men to receive funding for climate-related initiatives. Compounding the problem is that most funders do not have • Small- and medium-sized investments in adequate programs or systems in place to support women-led efforts can have a sizeable impact women and their solutions for climate change at on mitigating climate change and promoting women’s rights, environmental justice and the grassroots. That less than 1% of all worldwide indigenous rights. grants go to projects at the intersection of women and • 1 Fostering collaboration among funders is climate is a clear reflection of this critical funding gap. critical to ensuring funding is efficient, timely By responding to the climate solutions proposed by and appropriate. local women around the world, funders can catalyze • Silos between environment, climate and long-term change that benefits the environment women’s rights funding should be broken and entire communities. For funding to realize these down: approach issues from a community synergies, careful gender-responsive planning and perspective instead. implementation is needed. • Supporting grassroots involvement in climate consultations on various levels is crucial to ensuring that their needs and preferences are reflected in climate policy and programming. • Women face considerable risks in addressing 1 Data analyzed and provided by the Foundation Center July climate change: adopt measures to ensure 2014 in conjunction with the International Network of Women’s their security. Funds and Global Greengrants Fund. Historically, many environmental funders have The gathering was an opportunity for fostering not considered human rights to be within cross-collaboration and communication their grant-making scope. Similarly, many between the traditionally siloed women’s rights human rights funders have not considered the and environmental movements. It was the first environment or climate change impacts to time that environmental and women’s funding be within their grant making scope. However, networks came together with women leaders, Global Greengrants recognizes that the two working at the grassroots, from around the areas are increasingly linked. For example, the world to gain a comprehensive understanding more directly women are involved in climate of women’s contributions to climate change change responses, the more likely they are to solutions and how to better support them. be targeted and subjected to human rights violations. Climate Justice and Women’s Rights: A Guide to Supporting Grassroots Women’s Action is a In many parts of the world, those involved in compilation of that sharing and deliberation, initiatives against environmental degradation, and includes key principles and lessons for grant unsustainable development and related makers that emerged at the summit. The eight human rights violations are increasingly being case studies included in the publication reflect harassed, targeted as criminals and/or killed. geographic and cultural diversity, and provide Women resource-rights defenders face greater a range of approaches to addressing climate risks than men because they may also be change, from community to engagement in subjected to sexual assault and violence within local and national policy, to influencing industry, their families and communities. This challenge government and international bodies. Stories is compounded by the fundamental lack of from projects in which women took leadership resources available from funders for addressing roles are emphasized in order to help inform the human rights violations caused by climate grant-making strategies, techniques, and best change and defending the rights of the activists practices for fostering women’s leadership. involved. All of the case studies provide examples of how women are defending and advancing their land, Evidence and experience resource and consultative rights with respect to climate change policies and programs. Each of Nearly 100 leaders and representatives from the stories also clearly reflects the impact that women’s rights and environmental funds small grants have made and lessons learned in 37 countries gathered at the Summit on about small grant efficacy. Women and Climate in Bali, held in August 2014, by the Global Greengrants Fund, the Using the lessons learned from the case studies, International Network of Women’s Funds and the publication provides concrete solutions to the Alliance of Funds (collectively representing help funders ensure that the climate change $30 million distributed across 3000 grants in work they support promotes women’s agency, 125 countries annually). Participants included equality, physical security and well-being. It also both indigenous and non-indigenous women offers guidance for funders supporting women’s leaders from Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands, rights work in recognizing the impact climate North and South Americas, and Eastern Europe. change might have on women’s rights activities. Recommendations Break down silos between environment, • Support gatherings by covering food, climate and women’s rights funding by transportation and childcare costs. approaching issues from a community • Put funding decisions in the hands of perspective. people who intimately understand local • Bridge intersecting issue areas by gender dynamics and networks. supporting local causes and voices. • Honor the expertise and struggles of local Fund grassroots involvement in local, people by directly funding their work. regional and national consultations on • Uncover potential donor alliances and environmental and climate policy. better coordinate funding. • Support organizations with the capacity • Identify common values that inform to connect grassroots leaders with policy effective collaboration. makers and networks in which local voices are under-represented. Give small grants to catalyze action that • Support training for local groups and will significantly impact women’s rights organizations on national policy and its and climate justice. implications. Provide strategic analysis of • Be a flexible funder by developing a key players and policy spaces. portfolio of new and emerging groups. • Fund follow up and monitoring after a • Get critical, timely resources to nascent policy decision. groups, with nominal application and reporting requirements. Understand the considerable risks • women face in addressing climate Minimize transaction costs by identifying change and support actions to ensure and coordinating with funders and their security. intermediaries that are specifically structured to work at the local level. • Analyze the level of risk to activists in the • Increase small funding incrementally as groups you fund. grantees grow in strength. • Ensure your own organization has ethics protocols around the use of grantees’ Support networking and information names and images. sharing between women at the grassroots. • Help grantees develop security plans, media strategy, an urgent alert system • Be aware that women often share and access to safe houses. knowledge, debate ideas or even mobilize action through informal associations and • Respond quickly and flexibly, funding channels. Provide funding that gives them both the work and the activists flexibility to propose and design their own themselves (salaries, transportation and mechanisms for exchange. other expenses). Climate Justice and Women’s Rights is the first 3. deepen philanthropic practice and foster publication of its kind to feature case studies and collaboration to get timely and appropriate practical steps for funders and policy makers to: funding to women and their communities; 1. fund work at the intersection of climate 4. bring women’s voices into climate change policy justice and women’s rights, and identify areas discussions; in which that funding is currently taking place; 5. advocate for the strong impact small- and medium- 2. honor how women’s experiences influence sized grants can make in women-organized efforts grassroots climate justice funding; to address climate change at the community level. Download the full report at WomenAndClimate.org or contact Global Greengrants at +303-939-9866 or gender@greengrants.org. Author Ursula Miniszewski, Global Greengrants Fund Photo by Terry Sunderland for Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) Children in Cameroon de-shelling food. This brief is number 6 in a set of Gender Climate Briefs. See the full set here: CIFOR.org/gender-climate Produced by CIFOR as part of the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (CRP- FTA). This collaborative program aims to enhance the management and use of forests, agroforestry and tree genetic resources across the landscape from forests to farms. CIFOR leads CRP-FTA in partnership with Bioversity International, CATIE, CIRAD, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture and the World Agroforestry Centre. Fund Gender Brief 7 Knowledge is power Enhancing data for action on women’s rights, equality, and environmental sustainability via the Environment and Gender Index (EGI) IUCN’s Environment and Gender Index (EGI) monitors The first accountability and monitoring progress toward gender equality and women’s empowerment mechanism of its kind, IUCN’s Environment in the environmental arena, holding governments and policy and Gender Index (EGI) was launched in makers accountable. Existing knowledge can effectively 2013, bringing together environment and inform national gender and environment policies and their gender variables in a composite index implementation, bridging data gaps and overcoming barriers, that scored and ranked 731 countries to formulate best practices for using sex-disaggregated data worldwide along 27 dimensions in 6 and establishing a way forward. categories: ecosystems; gender-based education and assets; governance; country reported activities; livelihoods; and gender- Key messages based rights and participation. With some of the only data to date on how countries • The Environment and Gender Index (EGI) brings together are translating their commitments to environmental and gender variables in a composite index, environmental sustainability and women’s providing some of the best data to date on how countries are empowerment, the EGI found that translating their commitments to environmental sustainability and countries which take their commitments women’s empowerment into action. to advancing gender equality in • The pilot EGI exposed the limited availability of information on environmental arenas seriously are making women’s rights in natural resource sectors – because this data is not strides toward long-term wellbeing for widely collected or reported – affirming the need for its existence. all their citizens. In 2014–2015, IUCN has • In its second full phase, the EGI will aim to improve and increase created new datasets – in particular on global and national efforts to reduce gender gaps and advance women’s roles and participation in key gender equality and the status of women in environmental sectors through analysis of gender and environment variables, creation of environmental decision-making fora – and innovative databases, dissemination of knowledge, and capacity begun research and preparation toward a building and advocacy toward improving country performance. second full Index phase. • As the IUCN’s Global Gender Office (GGO) moves forward in developing the next phase, the EGI’s potential to serve as a critical baseline of information – and an accountability mechanism – is evident, especially as the global community makes progress in 1 The EGI Pilot first included 72 countries; Peru was added in 2014. Countries were included mainly based implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). on availability of information. The problem In 2011, the Human Development Report discovered a groundbreaking correlation between women’s rights and national efforts toward sustainability. Countries with higher female parliamentary representation and higher rankings on the Human Development Index were more likely to safeguard protected land areas and to address climate change by reducing carbon dioxide emissions2. Simultaneously, the World Bank Evidence and experience and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization published evidence documenting the transformative 3 EGI pilot: Results and responseimpact of women’s empowerment on the economy and agricultural production4. These revelations signaled to the The pilot phase of the EGI revealed deeply ingrained global development community that women’s limited inequalities across the 73 countries – for example, access to land, forest, energy, water and other natural in the appointment of women to lead national resources is a fundamental obstacle to securing their environmental initiatives and to represent governments social and economic rights in developing countries. at major environmental negotiations. The EGI found that governments are not fully implementing their For the past three decades, governments have commitments to women’s environmental rights in established international commitments and mandates multilateral agreements, such as the Rio Conventions to ensure that gender equality and women’s and CEDAW. Even more importantly, the EGI exposed empowerment are central to environmental decision- the limited availability of information on women’s rights making and sustainable development. This strong policy in natural resource sectors – because this data is not framework has suggested great strides and yet, without widely collected or reported. For example, no data with a mechanism to monitor and measure implementation broad country coverage is available on women’s access to of these commitments and drive further action, a void forest resources, women in senior agricultural positions, has remained in being able to identify real progress – not women’s involvement in fisheries, women’s land tenure or to mention persisting challenges, areas of comparative female graduates in environment-related areas. In essence, gains or gaps, or effective strategies for improvement. policy-makers, practitioners and women’s movements face a significant challenge in addressing access to, control Thus, recognizing the potential power of innovative over, and sustainability of these critical resources because knowledge for leveraging progress toward advancing women’s roles and needs are virtually invisible. women’s rights and sustainable development alike, IUCN’s Global Gender Office (GGO) developed the EGI5. The response to the EGI pilot was, in itself, an affirmation Its 2013 pilot phase was followed by specific activities to of the need for its existence: from the grassroots to policy fill data gaps on the most pressing gender–environment levels, stakeholders recognized the powerful co-benefits concerns and to analyze more deeply country data and to advancing equality and sustainability and the major information to find opportunities for improvement and gaps remaining in information. They requested guidance identify significant context-specific challenges. for improving national performances and sought to delve deeper into the persisting challenges. As the GGO moves forward in developing the next phase, the EGI’s 2 UNDP, 2011 Human Development Report, 63. potential to serve as a critical baseline of information 3 World Bank, World Development Report 2012: Gender Equality and Development. – and an accountability mechanism – is evident, 4 FAO, The State of Food and Agriculture 2010–2011. especially as the global community makes progress in 5 http://www.genderandenvironment.org/EGI implementing the SDGs. New datasets: Women in environmental Gender focal points and policies in national decision making6 environmental ministries7 This dataset, developed in collaboration with UN Women, This dataset, developed in collaboration with UN consists of nine indicators that cover diverse facets of Women, consists of five indicators in three categories: the environmental decision-making arena, including gender focal points in environmental ministries; international climate change policy; climate finance; and gender policies and programs in environmental the forestry, energy and transportation sectors. Methods ministries; and environmental linkages in and with involved gathering the names and confirming the genders national women’s affairs’ mechanisms. Data was of delegates, focal points, ministers and other decision gathered through survey responses from ministry makers. officials, Global Gender and Climate Alliance (GGCA) partners, IUCN regional and program offices, other Results included: practitioners and academics. Data was gathered from • During the most recent Conference of Parties (COPs) March to August 2015 and includes 65 countries. for the United Nations Convention on Biological Results, according to survey respondents, are as Diversity (CBD), Convention to Combat Desertification follows: (UNCCD) and Framework Convention on Climate • Of environmental-sector ministries, 35% have a Change (UNFCCC) 38%, 26%, and 36% of government gender focal point, 25% have a formal gender delegations were women; 45%, 15% and 27% of policy and 35% include gender considerations in Bureau Members were women; and 47%, 48% and their policies and/or programs; 45% of non-governmental organization delegates • 63% of countries perform cross-ministerial work were women, respectively (see graphic below); between the women’s affairs mechanism and • 29% of Global Environment Facility (GEF) National environmental-sector ministries; Focal Points and 24% of Focal Points to the United • 32% of countries have an environmental focal Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) are women; point within the women’s affairs mechanism; and • 18% of World Environment Center (WEC) Secretaries • Ministries of agriculture stand out as the leader and 4% of WEC Chairs are women; on every indicator in this dataset. • 12% of heads of environmental-sector ministries are women (see graphic below); and • 48% of nationally elected Green Party leaders are women. WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN THE RIO CONVENTIONS HEADS OF NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL-SECTOR MINISTRIES Data collection was completed in July 2015 and is global in scale. 6 https://portals.iucn.org/union/sites/union/files/doc/egi_factsheet_ 7 Environmental ministries included: ministries of environment, desicion_making_web_sept2015.pdf  agriculture, energy, forestry, fisheries, and water. Recommendations level, women’s empowerment for meaningful participation in decision-making arenas, and enhanced mainstreaming How to use EGI data to promote gender equality of gender in the development and implementation of The goal of the EGI is to measure progress, enhance policy and environmental policies and programs. program development, and ultimately empower countries to take 2. Bolster advocacy efforts steps forward for gender equality and sustainable development • The EGI was founded not only as a means for gathering and by improving and promoting broad use of data and information. analyzing necessary data, but also as an advocacy tool. In its second full phase, the EGI will aim to improve and increase • Information on gender equality and women’s rights and global and national efforts to reduce gender gaps and advance access to resources and services at the national level can be gender equality and the status of women in environmental used for understanding discrepancies and acting to reduce sectors through analysis of gender and environment variables, inequalities. creation of innovative databases, dissemination of knowledge, • Results and knowledge are crucial for effective planning, and capacity building and advocacy toward improving country policies and programing for maximum impact, especially performance. Capacity building and information sharing across for enhancing adaptive capacity and resilience in the face stakeholders to be able to gather and use disaggregated data will of climate change. be a key activity. • Monitoring and evaluating progress is facilitated in both 1. Inform policy processes environmental sustainability and gender equality. • The target audience for the EGI is diverse: governments • Development and channeling resources in the most can identify their strengths and weaknesses and effective and efficient way is enabled, advancing toward compare themselves against their peers; national NGOs collaborative information systems on issues surrounding and other stakeholders can both work for progress climate change and environmental responsibility. and hold their policy-makers to account; international • Gaps in information and data that research institutions and development and conservation organizations can better governments use can be identified. tailor their interventions and programming; donors can maximize their investment strategies; and researchers A forthcoming second full phase of the EGI aims to update and and UN agencies – among many others – can continue expand pilot datasets to uncover further the drivers of inequality to identify and fill data gaps, not least by recognizing and unsustainability and pursue linkages with other key platforms how little disaggregated data is available. Based on EGI for information and monitoring, such as those related to the data, policy recommendations can be made for each SDGs, bridging the gaps between knowledge, commitments and target audience, with overall recommendations for accountability. To learn more about the EGI please go to increased collection of sex-disaggregated data at every http://genderandenvironment.org/egi/. Authors Margaux Granat and Cate Owren, IUCN Photo by Photo by Tomas Munita for Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) Kichwa community listens to Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) scientists informing them of their findings, Napo Province, Ecuador. This brief is number 7 in a set of Gender Climate Briefs. See the full set here: CIFOR.org/gender-climate Produced by CIFOR as part of the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (CRP- FTA). This collaborative program aims to enhance the management and use of forests, agroforestry and tree genetic resources across the landscape from forests to farms. CIFOR leads CRP-FTA in partnership with Bioversity International, CATIE, CIRAD, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture and the World Agroforestry Centre. Fund Gender Brief 8 Gender equality as a pathway for sustainable development Lessons learned in Eastern and Southern Africa Simultaneously addressing The problem gender, environment and climate change by strengthening policy The cross-cutting issues of gender, environment and climate coordination, programmatic partnerships, research, change need to be addressed simultaneously to advance capacities and knowledge sustainable development1 in line with the Sustainable Development sharing can advance sustainable Agenda 2030 and address existing inequalities. A common development and address challenge in tackling cross-cutting issues is ensuring that they are inequalities. prioritized – and implemented – in national, sector and district policies and budgets2. Key messages To this end, the UN Women’s Eastern and Southern Regional Office (ESARO) has partnered with the United Nations Development Programme–United Nations Environment Programme Poverty- • Addressing gender, environment and Environment Initiative (UNDP-UNEP PEI). Together, they are climate change as cross-cutting issues can undertaking activities aimed at mainstreaming sustainable use of advance sustainable development and environment and natural resources (ENR), climate, and gender issues empower women. • Strengthening institutional and into national development planning and budgeting processes and stakeholder capacities will accelerate country-level programming. Moreover, these efforts aim to increase implementation of gender-sensitive the evidence base on gender, environmental and socioeconomic climate- and environment-related policies. issues, which will better inform these processes in the future and • Data demonstrating the added value facilitate improved decision making and capacity building. of integrating gender into climate and natural resource frameworks are needed to convince decision makers to take action. • Up-scaling proven climate- and gender- 1 UN Women. 2014. World survey on the role of women in development 2014: smart technologies will help close Gender equality and sustainable development. New York: UN Women the gender gap, promote women’s 2 UNDP-UNEP Poverty-Environment Initiative; Mainstreaming Environment and Climate for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development – empowerment and enhance sustainability. A Handbook to Strengthen Planning and Budgeting Processes , 2015 Evidence and experience: Tackling USD 67 million, respectively. Closing the gender gap the challenge on multiple fronts could lift as many as 238,000 people out of poverty in Malawi, 119,000 people in Uganda and approximately Policy and budgeting 80,000 people in Tanzania every year. These striking findings send a strong signal to policy makers in Africa Several tools can be used to influence national policy as well as to development partners: closing the gender and budget processes across a range of ministries gap is smart economics addressing both inequalities and sectors to promote gender responsiveness and and sustainability. sustainability. Among these are gender analysis, promotion of equal participation of men and women Programming in decision making, estimating the economic costs of gender equality, capacity building, and expenditure Through the African Women in Technology (AWIT) reviews on climate, environment and gender3. initiative, UN Women is establishing an alliance to promote up-scaling of rural technologies for women4. In Mozambique, the former Ministry for Coordination Implementation of such approaches provides an of Environmental Affairs developed a national opportunity to close the gender gap, promote gender and climate change strategy in 2010. The women’s empowerment and economic development, country’s Ministry of Planning and Development has and develop societal resilience to shocks. developed gender-responsive planning tools and adopted a mainstreaming matrix for cross-cutting Through the innovative knowledge transfer issues, including environment and gender. This mechanism of the Edutainment Initiative – a matrix now serves as an important tool in ensuring partnership between UN Women, other UN agencies that annual sector plans and budgets include and the TV production company Mediae – some 6 objectives aimed at promoting environmental million viewers in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have sustainability and gender equality. These efforts have learned about various post-harvest technologies been supported by UN Women, UNDP-UNEP PEI, developed through AWIT. IUCN and the Danish International Development Agency. Energy-efficient cookstoves are one such technology. In Malawi, the Ministry of Energy, supported by Research UNDP-UNEP PEI, piloted the production, marketing and distribution of energy-efficient stoves and To convince ministries of finance, economy and briquettes in four districts. As a follow-up, the national development of the need to address gender, government has developed a draft cookstoves environment and climate issues, a solid evidence ‘roadmap’ to further catalyze sustained uptake of base demonstrating the added value of integrating cleaner cookstoves in the country.5 gender into climate and natural resource frameworks is needed. The recent report published by UN In Tanzania, UN Women is supporting the Rural Women, UNDP-UNEP PEI and the World Bank, The Women Light up Africa project, in partnership with the cost of the gender gap in agricultural productivity Barefoot College in India. Through this, rural women in Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda, quantifies lost are trained to install and maintain solar energy panels. growth opportunities and estimates what societies, As solar engineers, these women not only bring economies and communities would gain if the gender electricity to their communities, but also introduce a gaps in the agriculture sector were addressed. It renewable and sustainable source of energy that can estimates the annual monetary value of the gender be maintained and replicated in other communities.6 gap in agricultural productivity in Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda to be USD 100 million, USD 105 million and 4 www.empowerwomen.org/cop/awit 5 Government of Malawi. 2015. Cookstoves Roadmap Draft programme document. Lilongwe, Malawi: Government of Malawi. 3 See www.unwomen.org and www.unpei.org for more 6 UN Women. 2015. Impact Story: Mothers lighting up homes and information communities in rural Tanzania. New York: UN Women Strengthening capacities Knowledge sharing Designing and accelerating the implementation To promote knowledge sharing about replicable of gender-sensitive climate- and environment- and successful technologies and innovations, related policies requires strengthened capacities UN Women – in collaboration with the Food and of institutions, stakeholders and coordination Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the mechanisms that can link policies to budgets International Fund for Agricultural Development and implementation7. For example, officials in and the World Food Programme – hosted a environment sectors need to be equipped to Sharefair on Rural Women’s Technologies in 20149. integrate gender into sector policies and plans, even as gender ministries need to be able to One of the solutions showcased was a green integrate sustainability into their work. village model that took a holistic approach to environmental sustainability. In Rubaya, Rwanda, a To enhance capacity to integrate ENR–gender woman-led cooperative helped the village to adopt linkages into policies and plans, UNDP-UNEP PEI, a range of environmentally sustainable approaches UN Women, and the African Institute for Economic and technologies, including biogas, and rainwater Development and Planning used UNDP’s Global harvesting and land terracing, which have reduced Gender Economic Policy Management Initiative soil erosion and deforestation. The solutions have to bring together some 60 representatives from also reduced the time women spend on water and environment, finance and planning, and gender firewood collection, as well as increased the social ministries from 12 countries8. The follow-up and economic benefits from the use of natural survey showed that about half of the participants resources. Through the cooperative’s example, have since used the knowledge gained in the women have now been empowered to take the training to influence the design of programs and/ lead in community development. or policy and budget processes in their country. One participant from the Ministry of Finance in The Government of Rwanda under the leadership Tanzania summed up the lessons learned: of Rwanda’s Environment Management Authority led the initiative with support from UNDP-UNEP PEI Africa. The Rubaya model is currently being “The training has shown how gender replicated in one location, and another three and natural capital are crucial variables of districts have accessed funds from Rwanda’s economic development, it has demonstrated national environment and climate change fund to that the mainstreaming of both gender- establish their own green villages. and environment-related issues require a systematic approach […] But, most importantly, the training has provided me with the tools to apply this work in my country.”  7 UNDP-UNEP Poverty Environment Initiative. 2015. Mainstreaming Environment and Climate for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development – A Handbook to Strengthen Planning and Budgeting Processes. New York: UNDP-UNEP PEI. 8 Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, the United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda (2014) and Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania and Senegal (2015) 9 www.empowerwomen.org/en/sharefair2014 Recommendations Although positive changes are emerging, several of structural reform. Women’s groups should be challenges remain to integrating gender issues more empowered to claim their right and be actively comprehensively into environment, natural resources involved in these processes. and climate policies and programming, particularly • Concerted actions and partnerships at all levels in Africa, and to linking such policies more closely to – including significant policy measures and legal effective implementation at the country level. reforms, as well as initiatives by the private sector and • Our experiences highlight the importance of civil society – are needed to develop and implement informing policy makers and practitioners in the gender-sensitive climate and ENR policies that will design and implementation of gender-sensitive help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. climate and environment policies and programs. This • Partnerships like that between UNDP-UNEP PEI and includes applying a cross-sectorial approach and UN Women ESARO should be further strengthened engaging with key sectors and ministries of finance to support the integration of gender, environment and planning. At the local level, concrete, promising and climate-linked concerns in policies, budgets programmatic solutions need to be supported and programs and strengthening capacities for the by national policies and linked to wider processes implementation of such policies. Authors Åsa Torkelsson and Flavia Ciribello, UN Women Moa Westman, UNDP-UNEP Poverty-Environment Initiative Photo by Ollivier Girard for Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) Portraits of a woman. Lukolela, Democratic Republic of Congo. This brief is number 8 in a set of Gender Climate Briefs. See the full set here: CIFOR.org/gender-climate Produced by CIFOR as part of the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (CRP- FTA). This collaborative program aims to enhance the management and use of forests, agroforestry and tree genetic resources across the landscape from forests to farms. CIFOR leads CRP-FTA in partnership with Bioversity International, CATIE, CIRAD, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture and the World Agroforestry Centre. Fund Gender Brief 9 Gender equality in the climate agreement Paris must deliver an ambitious and The problem equitable agreement that keeps warming below the 1.5°C threshold, supports just climate action, respects the human The impact of climate change is already causing rights of all people, and ensures gender widespread socioeconomic and environmental loss, equality at its core, as a guiding mandate. and human suffering around the globe. Climate However, it is also critically important change erodes human freedoms and limits choice. to look ahead to implementation and However, the impacts of climate change are not continued efforts toward gender- felt equally, with women often bearing the brunt of responsive climate solutions. climate impacts. Without measures to address the injustice of climate change, those with the fewest resources, countries and individuals alike, will be Key messages most susceptible to its negative effects; and those in positions of wealth and power will be the first to • Gender equality and respect for all human rights are benefit from transitions in the economy towards a central to an effective climate change agreement. low carbon society. • Gender equality and women’s human rights advocates have clear asks for the outcome of Paris, To ensure survival, well-being, and livelihoods of ensuring that gender equality is a guiding mandate women and men all over the world for the long for all aspects of the agreement. • The agreement must be just, ambitious and term, any international climate agreement must be inclusive in terms of mitigation, adaptation, finance, gender-responsive. It must also be ambitious and loss and damage; strong gender language in a weak equitable, to keep warming below the 1.5° threshold, agreement will not achieve what the world needs. support climate action and respect the human rights • Advocates at all levels must follow-up post-Paris to of all people. The 2015 Paris climate negotiations will drive political will and implementation, and to hold determine whether the critical gender-responsive governments accountable. • Women are already working to solve climate decision making, programming and action on change, contributing innovative, gender-just and climate change will be framed and supported within climate-just solutions. a robust and fair overall agreement. Context Where is gender going in the negotiations? This year, 2015, has been highly anticipated as the From the original climate agreement in 1992 until final year of the ADP on all fronts, including gender now, the United Nations Framework Convention on equality. Since the very first ADP meeting, Parties and Climate Change (UNFCCC) has advanced from a focus groups of Parties have expressed their strong views on on mitigation to a more complex and holistic view that the effective integration of gender equality into the extends beyond technical measures and incorporates new climate agreement – reiterating in submissions social, economic and environmental dimensions together. and interventions views that should be reflected to operationalize a gender-responsive approach to Advocates across sectors and constituencies, together climate policy, namely as an overarching principle in with decision makers, have propelled this progress. The the Objective section of the new agreement. women’s rights and gender equality community, as well as women leaders within the UNFCCC, have initiated a strong • February Geneva text: Parties called for gender shift in how gender issues are included. language in the Preamble, the Objective/General section, adaptation, finance, technology and The twenty-first Conference of the Parties in Paris in 2015 capacity building. is expected to produce a legal instrument or an agreed • August session: Parties reiterated support for outcome with legal force under the UNFCCC, which gender language across all areas, calling for should address the grave challenge of climate change. It the language to be fully retained. Three groups is being developed under the Ad Hoc Working Group on of Parties (AILAC, the Environmental Integrity the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP). It will be Group and the African Group), and 122 individual applicable to all Parties, and will enter into force in 2020. countries, stated that gender equality must be in the Objective/General section, and not just in the preamble or in a decision. Evidence and experience • October session: Some key gender language was maintained. However, support was less vocal Results and impact of advocacy on gender than in previous sessions, highlighting an ever equality and women’s rights growing contentious agreement, watering down of language and text, where key issues such as In 2010, Parties agreed to decisions that mainstreamed gender equality could easily fall out without gender aspects across finance, adaptation and capacity sustained political will. building, which sent a signal that gender equality and women’s participation are necessary for effective action The 10 November drafts3 are the starting point for on all aspects of climate change. Since 2010, gender negotiations on 30 November. Gender language in equality issues have been included in adopted decisions the draft agreement and in the draft decision text on nearly every UNFCCC thematic area. Key outcomes ranges from “gender equality” to “gender-responsive” include: to “gender-disaggregated data.” Still missing is gender • 2012 Decision 23/CP.18 on gender balance and text related to mitigation and technology transfer and women’s participation; development. In some cases, a whole paragraph is • 2014 launch of the Lima Work Programme on bracketed (e.g. Purpose), which means it is at risk of Gender1, a 2-year work program aimed at achieving being altered, weakened or deleted. gender-responsive climate policy in all relevant activities under the Convention; • The Green Climate Fund took a fund-wide gender- sensitive approach in 2011, enhancing this with a Gender Action Plan in 2014; 2 Costa Rica, Philippines, Liberia, Malawi, Bangladesh, Dominican • Draft gender language going into COP21. Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Ecuador, Vietnam, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Bolivia 3 10 November draft texts http://unfccc.int/ 1 Lima Work Programme on Gender, https://unfccc.int/files/meetings/ documentation/documents/advanced_search/items/6911. lima_dec_2014/decisions/application/pdf/auv_cop20_gender.pdf php?priref=600008681#beg Recommendations Strong gender language within a weak agreement is not enough; the planet needs commitments to halt It is not certain what will happen in Paris as COP21 climate change and support adaptation. True gender and ADP 2.12 begin, but advocates on the ground will equality is not possible while homes are disappearing be tracking the negotiations carefully, to follow the and disasters are increasing. Countries must commit! changing landscape and ensure governments make 4. Action beyond COP21 is imperative: commitments and achieve substantive agreement. • First and foremost, do not stop the advocacy 1. Overall, the COP21 agreement must: efforts after COP21! • Be gender-responsive, ensuring participation - Agreements on paper are worthless and gender disaggregation; without sustained political will and advocates have a critical role to play; • Be ambitious in terms of mitigation, finance, loss and damage, and environmentally and - 49 countries have made explicit reference socially sound technology; to gender and the role of women in their intended nationally determined • Adhere to the principles of the Convention – contributions (INDCs) but more needs to equity and common, but differentiated, be done. responsibilities; • National level gender and climate change • Support transformative change; strategies • Include gender equality text in the Purpose - Advocate for them where they do not section – or the operative text – which would yet exist; mandate that all climate actions under the new agreement should be gender-responsive. - Participate in their development, updating and operationalizing. 2. The operational language, the Purpose • Implementation section, of the agreement must ensure a truly - Reach out to the relevant ministries or get transformative and effective approach. Countries involved at local/municipal level; should support the following proposed language: - Provide technical support to governments “ensure that all climate change related actions, to ensure actions are participatory, inclusive respect, protect, promote, and fulfill human and just; rights for all, including the rights of indigenous - Follow up with women’s groups and others peoples; ensuring gender equality and the full working directly on climate change in your and equal participation of women; ensuring region; intergenerational equity; ensuring a just transition of the workforce that creates decent work and - Prepare and raise awareness of your quality jobs; ensuring food security; and the own projects that demonstrate women’s integrity and resilience of natural ecosystems.” innovative climate solutions. • Hold governments to account for their 3. In addition to ADP, it is critical to: commitments • move forward on the Lima Work Programme - Work with colleagues on accountability, on Gender: ensure Subsidiary Body on follow-up and review. Implementation (SBI) conclusions that review and take action on key lessons learned from Women and gender equality advocates are demanding the June 2015 SBI Workshop on gender, a strong agreement in Paris from inside the negotiation technology and mitigation. halls. But we will not wait. Already, women are mobilizing • maintain effective mainstreaming efforts and taking action in schools, neighborhoods and in the under the SBI/Subsidiary Body for Scientific halls of parliament. Women are leading the way with and Technological Advice programs: ensure innovative, socially and environmentally sound solutions gender-responsive implementation. to climate change. For more information, and to stay updated, follow these groups – and any of their active members: Women and Gender Constituency: womengenderclimate.org Global Gender and Climate Alliance: gender-climate.org Women’s Global Call for Climate Justice: womenclimatejustice.org Authors Eleanor Blomstrom and Bridget Burns, WEDO Photo by Neil Palmer (IWMI) Participants of the Global Landscapes Forum, at the nineteenth Conference of the Parties (COP19) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in Warsaw, Poland. This brief is number 9 in a set of Gender Climate Briefs. See the full set here: CIFOR.org/gender-climate Produced by CIFOR as part of the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (CRP- FTA). This collaborative program aims to enhance the management and use of forests, agroforestry and tree genetic resources across the landscape from forests to farms. CIFOR leads CRP-FTA in partnership with Bioversity International, CATIE, CIRAD, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture and the World Agroforestry Centre. Fund CIFOR.org/gender-climate GENDER Produced by CIFOR as part of the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (CRPFTA). This collaborative program aims to enhance the management and use of forests, agroforestry and tree genetic resources across the landscape from forests to AND CLIMATE farms. CIFOR leads CRP-FTA in partnership with Bioversity International, CATIE, CIRAD, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture and the World Agroforestry Centre. CHANGE: EVIDENCE AND EXPERIENCE Funding partners A set of briefs on gender and climate change that highlights how CIFOR and partner organizations are addressing current and emerging policy issues, with insights and recommendations based on Contributing partners experience. UNDP-UNEP POVERTY-ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE cifor.org BRIEFS