Climate Change and Gender Equality in China
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This manual has been produced by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Gender and Water Alliance, ENERGIA International Network on Gender and Sustainable Energy, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) as part of the Global Gender and Climate Alliance (GGCA). Main Author: Technology Development Group Lorena Aguilar Elaine Enarson and Betty Hearn Morrow In collaboration with: Key messages and revision: Adel Sasvari, IUCN Module 1: Karla Priego Saniye Gülser Corat, UNESCO Mariko Saito, UNDP Module 2: English editing: Saniye Gülser Corat, UNESCO Tiina Rajamets Section 2.3 Eva Maria Duer, UNEP and Cheryl L. Anderson, University of Hawaii Validation process: Section 2.5 Adel Sasvari, IUCN The following specialists participated in the validation process: Xavier Moya, Itza Castañeda, Rose Mwebaza, Module 3: Jeanne Josette, Adel Sasvari, Rima Abdulhadi Ras, Saniye Gülser Corat, UNESCO Rose Mensa Kutin, Sandra Freitas, Brigitte Leduc, Nadia Shevchenko, Mariko Saito, Cheryl Anderson, Eva Module 4: Maria Duer, Lourdes Meyreles , Natalia Kostus, Andrea Rebecca Pearl, GGCA Quesada, Nadia Johnson, Cate Owren, Rebecca Pearl, Hannie Meesters, UNDP Hannie Meesters, Lucy Wanjiru, Stacy Alboher, and Lucy Wanjiru, UNDP Aira Kalela. Their contributions and recommendations Amanda Dentler, WEDO for this manual were extremely valuable. Lourdes Meyreles Graphic design: Module 5: Laura Montoya Sancho Section 5.1.2 Gail Karlsson , ENERGIA José María Castro Madriz Draco Firma Gráfica S.A. Module 6: [email protected] Eva Rathgeber, GWA Publishing supervisor: Module 7: Eric Hidalgo Valverde Mariama Williams and Yves Conze ABSOLUTO S.A. [email protected] Case studies: Paula Zuniga, IUCN Printed by: Yianna Lambrou, FAO Masterlitho S.A. Madhavi Malalgoda Ariyabandu, Intermediate San José, Costa Rica. Marzo, 2009. The GGCA is led by a Steering Committee composed of UNDP, IUCN, UNEP, and WEDO. Members include over 25 other UN agencies and civil society organizations, and the GGCA partners with a range of governments, foundations, and private sector institutions. GGCA members, allies, and others are encouraged to use the training manual and may do so by requesting permission from [email protected]. Any training that draws from the manual must acknowledge the GGCA in all communications and documentation related to the training. iii Prologue For many years there has been the assumption that the negative impacts of climate change and the efforts to mitigate them have similar effects on both women and men. However, the world has progressively recognized that women and men experience climate change differently, and that gender inequalities worsen women’s coping capacity. It has also been acknowledged that women are important actors of change and holders of significant knowledge and skills related to mitigation, adaptation, and the reduction of risks in the face of climate change, making them crucial agents in this area. Consequently, there is an urgent need to adopt a gender-responsive approach towards climate change policy making and programming. Linking climate change to human development remains an important challenge, particularly because climate change is perceived by many as a purely scientific or technical issue. This publication responds to the needs of policy makers and climate change scientists to understand and address better the gender dimensions of climate change. It clarifies the linkages between gender and climate change mitigation and adaptation. We are pleased to introduce and recommend this Training Manual, designed by the Global Gender and Climate Alliance (GGCA), as a practical tool to increase the capacity of policy and decision makers to develop gender-responsive climate change policies and strategies. At this crucial moment, on the way to negotiating the new international climate change strategy, this publication provides all actors with the essential knowledge and concrete guidance on how their actions on climate change can better answer the needs of women and men in developing countries. Julia Marton-Lefèvre Winnie Byanyima Director General Director, Gender Team IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) UNDP (United Nations Development Program) Foreword iv Climate change is a most serious threat to sustainable development and will endanger our achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, if we do not succeed in combating it. Influencing climate change is directly linked with poverty eradication. Therefore, it is most important that we achieve a comprehensive new agreement on climate change before the end of 2009. The most important measures for mitigating climate change will be increasing the use of renewable energy, and reforestation, as well as halting the rate of deforestation. Adapting to climate change will affect agriculture, food security and water management in rural areas. Regenerative ecological agriculture can provide a good mitigation tool. Most of these livelihoods are traditionally women’s tasks in developing countries. In Africa, for instance, 80% of food production is managed by women. The analysis of the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change indicates that the impacts will hit hardest the poorest regions and the poorest people who have the least resources for facing the changes brought by increasing droughts, floods or storms. Seventy percent of these poor are women. This means that poor women will have to struggle with the impacts of climate change. However, they can also be powerful agents of change. Empowerment of women in planning and decision making as well as implementing measures influencing climate change will make our common efforts more effective especially at the local level. This requires that men and women understand the process of climate change, and share information on counteracting its negative impacts. It will be important that women have equal access to knowledge, resources and technology, which are necessary in influencing climate change. Likewise it will be important that women participate more actively in the negotiations shaping the new comprehensive regime on climate change. Finland is pleased to cooperate with the Global Gender and Climate Alliance, and to support its work on empowering women in order to influence climate change. This manual is an important element in promoting the understanding of climate change, its impacts and gender dimensions. We hope that this increased understanding will strengthen cooperation and we call upon all governments, relevant international organizations and financing institutions, civil society and the private sector to take part. Aira Kalela Special Representative Climate change and gender Ministry for Foreign Affairs Finland Contents: Prologue .................................................................................................................................................. iii Foreword .................................................................................................................................................. iv Acronyms ................................................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 5 Module 1:Gender and gender mainstreaming .................................................................................. 13 1.1 What is gender? ......................................................................................................................... 13 1.2 What is gender mainstreaming? .............................................................................................. 16 1.3 Women’s special condition ...................................................................................................... 17 Further resources ....................................................................................................................... 18 Assignments for this module ..................................................................................................... 19 Notes for the facilitator ............................................................................................................. 20 Case studies ................................................................................................................................ 21 Case study 1 Women planning sustainable agriculture ............................................... 21 Case study 2 UNEP Gender Plan of Action ...................................................................... 23 Case study 3 CBD Gender Plan of Action ........................................................................ 25 Instruments and techniques ..................................................................................................... 27 Module 2: International law instruments as a framework for mainstreaming gender in climate change ..................................................................................................................................... 43 2.1 Human rights as a starting point ............................................................................................... 44 2.1.1 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of