Gender and climate change adaptation in agrarian settings. Gender and climate change in africa facts from gender and. Agriculture is essential to the malawian economy and is a key livelihood activity but it is vulnerable to climate change. This blog was originally posted by the african development bank afdb here. Current thinking, new directions, and research frontiers. In africa, the african union is committed to addressing climate change issues with a gender perspective.
Register for the first webinar series for the inclusive climate change adaptation for a sustainable africa iccasa project on july 12. Increasingly more south africans recognise the seriousness of climate change, and the threats it poses to our survival. Although the research base is wide and growing every day. Nov 25, 2019 today in the journal nature climate change, researchers published an analysis of 25 studies looking at how climate change is imperiling the agency of women in africa and asia. Project successes in morocco and ghana offer lessons in. Understand the importance of incorporating gender considerations into adaptation responses to climate change 1. Gender and climate change 1 overview of linkages between. The african union gender policy and forthcoming climate change strategy, together present an opportunity to ensure that implementation of the paris agreement in africa contributes to gender equality. Africas commitment to integrating gender in climate.
West africa has been identified as a climate change hotspot, with climate change likely to lessen crop yields and production, with resultant impacts on food security. Africa, which constitutes percent of the global population, contributes the least to greenhouse gas ghg emissions, but bears the brunt of climate change. Climate change is a global challenge that burdens all of humanity, but not equally. Gender and climate change africa jan 7, 2014 one of the pressing challenges in addressing the gender dimensions of climate change in developing countries is the need for greater national expertise on gender and climate change. Gender and climate change africa policy brief 4 the agriculture sector is predicted to come under substantial stress from climate changeinduced increases in temperature, variability in rainfall and extreme weather events that could trigger crop failures, pest and disease outbreaks, and the degradation of land and water resources. The study shows that women in south africa are very knowledgeable and innovative with regards to coping with the impacts of the changing climate. This means that the chances of achieving a better life for many women and girls are threatened by a double injustice. Jan 23, 2020 ukafrica summit ignored gender, climate, and poverty concerns, advocates say. Gender and climate change in africa facts from gender and climate change. Understanding the relationship between climate change and gender will support effective climate change adaptation polices and initiatives on the continent. Global gender and climate alliance africa is experiencing the impacts of climate change, yet there is wide variation in the capacity of women and men to adequately cope with its effects. Climate change is intrinsically linked to poverty, impacting the lives of the worlds poorest people the most. It may also restrict options for climate change mitigation. This is the first webinar series for the inclusive climate change adaptation for a sustainable africa iccasa project.
While women in south africa are represented in the government at national and provincial level, there are not many women in government at a municipal level. Aug 22, 2018 research, policy, and other initiatives can help close this gap by clearly linking climate change and gender. Effects of climate change in africa basic facts on gender equality gender differentiated impacts of climate change need and options for gender sensitive responses to climate change the module first outlines learning objectives and what users are expected to know when the training concludes part ii. While some correlation is evident between poverty and undernourishment, there is an important variation among countries. Climate change, gender and development in africa african. Womxn account for six out of ten of the worlds poorest, and two thirds of the worlds illiterate.
These impacts are likely to be felt more acutely at the individual level, as agriculture is the mainstay of 70 percent of the continents 1 billion. Climate change therefore magnifies existing inequalities, reinforcing the disparity between women and men in their vulnerability to and capability to cope with climate change. Central africa, for the most part, is landlocked and is geographically threatened by climate change. Gender in climate change, agriculture, and natural resource policies. Women, gender equality and biodiversity in the context of climate change according to the millennium ecosystem assessment, climate change is likely to become the dominant driver for the loss of. On the one hand, women are disproportionately vulnerable to the effects of climate change, which could, in turn, exacerbate existing gender disparities. Gender and climate change 4 gender, agriculture and food. Gender, health and climate change it has been widely recognised that the rising water levels associated with climate change will lead to an increase in water borne diseases. It has therefore become important to understand the interrelations between climate change and gender so as to design effective climate change polices. We must ensure women are given the skills tools and finance to address the climate change challenge, mafalda duarte, head of the climate investment funds, urged. Gender and climate change capacity development series africa 7 gender, agriculture and food security training module 4 water scarcity, climate change and agriculture benin video link 3. This paper argues that a binary construction of gender women vs men is likely to overlook the most important challenges of agrarian populations, and may increase vulnerability rather than. Unpacking the gender and climate change nexus in africa.
The previous section highlighted the importance of agricultural and environment based livelihoods to africas economic development, and in particular the major. Contextualising and conceptualising gender and climate. Moreover, adaptation studies as opposed to vulnerability studies tend to address gender issues more. Similarly, the green climate funds gender policy supports gendersensitive approaches in. Men and women respond differently to climate change and subsequently also to adaptation measures, which can affect men and women unequally, when the gender perspective is ignored in the policy. There is a regional differential in the predicted impacts of climate change. Nov 25, 2019 the banks department of gender, women and civil society, as well as its climate change and green growth department, has been mobilizing funding from the climate investment funds cif to strengthen capacity to address the interlinkages between gender and climate change in the work of bank staff and the african cif pilot countries. Gender inequality may dramatically limit the resilience and adaptive capacity of women, families and communities. Gender inequality results from different gender roles what we deem appropriate behaviour for men and women in society.
Gender, climate change, and access to land and agricultural assets as of 2010, only 15% of land in subsaharan africa is managed by women, despite the fact that access to land. A changing climate poses risks for all of humanity. Jan 14, 2020 the global climate crisis is not gender neutral. The global mean temperature in this region is to increase by 1. Gender and climate change africa jan 7, 2014 one of the pressing challenges in addressing the gender dimensions of climate change in developing countries is the need for greater national expertise on gender and climate change and on broader issues of sustainable development. In the context of the significant attention to climate change at global level, debates regarding identification of gender perspectives and the involvement of women in addressing climate change have arisen. Bridge development gender institute of development studies university of sussex. Gender mainstreaming was acknowledged as an indispensable strategy for achieving gender equality at the 1995 beijing platform for action. Development programme undp has developed a series of training modules and policy briefs on gender and. Around the world, women and girls are on the front line of changing weather patterns disproportionately shouldering the costs and burdens. In 2009, the cedaw committee issued a statement on gender and climate change, expressing concern about the absence of a gender perspective in the united nations framework convention on climate. In fact, in 46 of africas nations, women account for at least 40% of agricultural workers.
Adaptation, mitigation and governance challenges tional climate change negotiations can be remedied by concerted action on the part of african leaders in the copenhagen round of negotiations. Gender and climate change africa gender, climate change and food security 2 policy brief 4 agriculture is central to the livelihoods of women it is now widely acknowledged that climate change impacts will not be gender neutral. Build a concrete body of knowledge on gender and climate change in order to promote a greater understanding of the gendered dimensions of climate change. Impacts on farming households and gendered response strategies chapter pdf available december 2018. Africas commitment to integrating gender in climate change. Find out more about gendercc and how to get involved. Sea level rise have put lowlying areas and island nations at risk. Due to its high climate variability and rainfed agriculture, central africa is expected to experience longer and more frequent heatwaves as well as an increase in wet extremes.
Inform national policies and regional initiatives on how to address the gendered dimensions of climate change in africa. Gender and climate change capacity development series africa. Gender and climate change africa policy brief 1 by. Gendercc women for climate justice is a global network of organisations, experts and activists working for gender equality, womens rights and climate justice. Find out more about the final declaration of the womens and gender constituencies of the cop25 climate change conference in. The advent of climate change and its effects, which have continued to impact rural livelihoods and especially food security, demands. The chapter further assesses the importance of integrating and mainstreaming gender into africa s national adaptations plans of actions napas, and intended nationally distributed contributions indcs, and the need for better gender oriented climate change policies, programs and plans. Inclusion of gender in africas climate change policies. Katowice, poland, 10 december, 2018 womens voice is critical, from local to the national, in planning and implementation. According to the climate change vulnerability index for 2015, seven of the ten countries. The worlds poor, the majority of whom are women, are encumbered disproportionately. Gender in climate change, agriculture, and natural. It is also intrinsically linked to gender, as we know from our work that women and girls are particularly vulnerable to the effects of the climate catastrophe, and all over the world, women and girls are losing their homes as a result. With particular attention to south africa, this study aims to examine the interrelations between climate change and gender so as to make a contribution to the existing information gap on the.
Gender in climate change, agriculture, and natural resource. From sensitivity to responsiveness governments, institutions and agencies are increasingly recognizing the need to mainstream gender into climate change policies and planning, including for adaptation and mitigation. Economic brief climate change, gender and development in. Ooidentify specific gender based inequalities that contribute towards the disproportionate exposure and vulnerability of women to the effects of climate change, and the role of women as key agents of change in climate responses. Lessons can be drawn from their knowledge on how women can be better assisted to adapt to climate change. Stocktaking of gender and climate change initiatives in africa. The 2015 paris agreement recognizes gender equality and womens empowerment as a guiding. The recently launched inclusive climate change adaptation for a sustainable africa iccasa project aims to understand and integrate gender in climate change adaptation planning and implementation. Dorothy amwata, kenya how policy and planning can be better informed by research on the gender dimensions of climate change adaptation dr. Gender dimensions of climate change earth journalism network. How climate change exacerbates gender inequality across the. Gender and climate change capacity development series. In uganda, femaleheaded households and wives of male farmers are significantly less likely to adopt drought tolerant maize than male farmers, which.
The global transformation underway is also increasingly exposing a fundamental yet often hidden factor complicating matters. Africas commitment to ensuring gender equality in the face of climate change dr. Contribute to capacitybuilding initiatives on addressing. Overview of linkages between gender and climate change. Across africa, policy and special initiatives have aimed to incorporate gender inequality in the face of climate change 2. This is evident from current experiences of extreme climatic events such as droughts and floods. Climate change and its effects are not gender neutral. Jan 07, 2014 gender and climate change africa jan 7, 2014 one of the pressing challenges in addressing the gender dimensions of climate change in developing countries is the need for greater national expertise on gender and climate change and on broader issues of sustainable development. Empowering women on the frontlines of climate change. Nov 26, 2019 a mong the lesser studied effects of climate change are the social and economic impacts on women nitya rao, professor of gender and development at university of east anglia has been studying. Climate change represents the most complex challenge of our time it requires a concerted, proactive and holistic response. The advent of climate change and its effects, which have continued to impact rural livelihoods. Understand the overall gender dimensions of climate change in africa sisters of the planet martina uganda video link.
Both men and women have key roles to play in agricul. May 22, 2019 gender mainstreaming was acknowledged as an indispensable strategy for achieving gender equality at the 1995 beijing platform for action. Applying intersectionality to our climate change response. Undp, africa adaptation experiences gender and climate change. World bank, social dimensions of climate change, 2010. An extension activity focused on identifying entry points for integrating research findings on gender and climate change into programs and projects by implementing partners engaged in climate change adaptation projects in africa south of. The link between climate change, gender and development in. Training module 1 ii objectives oounderstand the overall gender dimensions of climate change in africa. Women, gender equality and biodiversity in the context of climate change according to the millennium ecosystem assessment, climate change is likely to. This is followed by a thematic examination of the key issues related to gender and climate change in africa which include women as consumers, access to land and natural resources, agricultural production and food security, health aspects, security issues and adaptation and mitigation support. Gender, climate change and development nexus in africa. It documents evidence for gender differences in health risks that are likely to be exacerbated by climate change, and in adaptation and mitigation measures that can help to protect and promote health. By 2020, it is projected that yields from rainfed agriculture in some countries could be reduced by up to 50 percent.
Evidence shows that the change in temperature has affected the health, livelihoods, food productivity, water availability, and overall security of the african people. Climate change is brutal for everyone, but worse for women. No continent will be struck as severely by the impacts of climate change as africa. Africa is experiencing the impacts of climate change, yet there is wide variation in the capacity of women and men to adequately cope with its effects. Results confirm that women play an important role in supporting households and communities to cope and adapt to climate. Although the research base is wide and growing every day, this fact sheet centers on a select group of themes in literature around gender and climate change in africa, including agriculture, forests, water scarcity, migration, and food. Dec 12, 2014 right now, the effects of climate change are already being felt by people across africa. Afdb climate change, gender and development in africa. The drought that currently affects the western and eastern cape provinces and the scarcity of water that plagues south africa, generally is a consequence of mixed variables that include manmade climate change, i. The gender, climate change and nutrition gcan integration initiative supported by usaids feed the future program works with usaid missions and partners to enhance understanding of the linkages between climate, gender, and nutrition to more effectively address gender inequality, improve nutrition outcomes, and increase climate resilience.
The distinct impacts of climate change on men and women are exacerbated in settings that are also affected by violent conflict, political instability, and economic strife. A closer look at existing evidence published by the global gender and climate alliance ggca africa is experiencing the impacts of climate change, yet there is wide variation in the capacity of women and men to adequately cope with its effects. Gender and climate change in africa facts from gender. Climate change is a particular threat to continued economic growth and to livelihoods of vulnerable populations. Due to gender based roles in society, and the inequities caused by them, the climate affects women, men, and the young differently, resulting in various levels of vulnerability. This brief summarizes research on key gender related findings regarding climate change perceptions, adaptation strategies and information needs based on an intrahousehold survey of women and men in rakai in southcentral uganda, one of the sites where the cgiar research program on climate change, agriculture and food security ccafs is working. Ukafrica summit ignored gender, climate, and poverty. Climate change tends to exacerbate existing gender inequalities. Climate change adaptation in africa ccaa le programme. Across africa, the changing climate adversely impacts the lives and livelihoods of women, men, and their families. In southern africa, some 12 million people currently face severe food insecurity across nine countries as a result of drought, cyclones, and floods. Gender and climate change capacity development series africa overview of linkages between gender and climate change 6 training module 1 iv what does gender have to do with climate change. Overview of linkages between gender and climate change undp. Women, more than men, are exposed to environment linked.
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