Gender and Ndcs: Country Progress and Key Findings
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Gender and NDCs: Country Progress and Key Findings 24-26 APRIL 2019 | NAIROBI, KENYA ABOUT UNDP UNDP’s work on climate change spans more than 140 countries and USD $3.7 billion in investments in climate change adaptation and mitigation measures since 2008. With the goal to foster ambitious progress towards resilient, zero-carbon development, UNDP has also supported the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change by working with countries on achieving their climate commitments or Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). THE UNDP NDC SUPPORT PROGRAMME The NDC Support Programme provides technical support for countries to pursue a “whole-of-society”, integrated approach that strengthens national systems, facilitates climate action and increases access to finance for transformative sustainable development. The programme helps countries address these financial barriers by deploying a structured approach for scaling up sectoral investments and putting in place a transparent, enabling investment environment. Beyond direct country support, UNDP facilitates exchanges and learning opportunities on NDC implementation at the global and regional level by capitalizing on our close collaboration with the UNFCCC and other strategic partners. GENDER INITIATIVE Coordinating and connecting the interlinked processes of climate change and gender equality, by using NDCs as a platform, offers an opportunity to promote inclusive and successful development outcomes. The NDC Support Programme is supporting the work in 17 countries to ensure that gender equality aspects are factored into the NDC processes by leveraging analysis, strengthening institutional mechanisms, ensuring gender-responsive climate actions and disseminating best practices to enhance national-level capacities. The Programme, which works in contribution to the NDC Partnership, is generously supported by the German Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU), the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the European Union and the Government of Spain. DISCLAIMER The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the United Nations, including UNDP, or the UN Member States. Prepared by Una Murray, UNDP Consultant ©2019 CONTENTS Executive Summary 4 1. Overview 7 2. What participating countries have achieved 8 3. Evidence of gender gaps in NDC sectors 10 4. Governance / coordination 12 5. Policy 22 6. Planning 23 7. Reaching the subnational level 27 8. Gender responsive indicators 29 9. NDC enhancement 30 10. Climate finance 33 11. The UNFCCC process and gender mainstreaming 35 12. Follow up plans on gender and NDCs 36 Annex 1: Annex 4: Workshop schedule 37 Gender gaps in 7 Sectors (elevator pitches) 57 Annex 2: Methodology for workshop 42 Annex 5: Workshop Evaluation 64 Annex 3: Summary of country presentations 41 Annex 6: Workshop participants list 67 Bhutan 41 Lebanon 48 Chile 42 Kenya 49 Colombia 42 Paraguay 51 Costa Rica 43 Peru 51 Cote d’Ivoire 44 Philippines 52 Ecuador 45 Uganda 53 Ghana 45 Vietnam 54 Guatemala 47 Zambia 56 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY While climate change threatens livelihoods and security NDC process within the three programme areas across the board, women and girls, particularly those of governance, planning for implementation and who are living in poverty, often face higher risks and enhanced climate policy instruments. Approximately 90 greater burdens from climate change. However, UNDP participants were present at the concentrated two-and- has a strong emphasis on women as agents of change. a-half-day workshop. Invitees were one representative This is in contrast to women (as a ‘group’) being viewed from the Ministry of Environment/ Climate Change; one only as ‘vulnerable’ to climate change and unreactive. from the Ministry of Gender/ Women’s Affairs; and one The participation of women at many levels must from the UNDP project team/unit. Representatives from be supported so they can contribute to their needs United Nations organizations and non-governmental assessment and prioritisation of initiatives for climate international organizations supporting or monitoring or action implementation. otherwise engaged in the NDC process also attended and contributed. The UNDP NDC Support Programme provides direct financial and technical support to countries The workshop was participatory and interactive. on progressing and implementing their Nationally Discussions covered gender concepts; country Determined Contributions (NDC) in the context of achievements; sectoral entry points; improving national the Paris Agreement. Accelerating implementation coordination, planning and aligning policies; reaching to achieve transformative change in climate change sub-national level; indicators; climate finance; and actions, raising ambition of the next generation of international processes including the UNFCCC. NDC NDCs, and mobilizing society to meet NDC targets and enhancement and the NDC-SDG nexus was also deliver climate–resilient development, are all aims of discussed. Facilitating peer-to-peer exchange across the programme. countries allowed countries to pick up and swap strategic and practical ideas about integrating gender The UNDP NDC Support Programme has a Gender- equality into NDC planning and implementation. Peer Responsive area of work, which is currently supporting interactions were particularly useful for countries just 17 countries to mainstream gender equality within the beginning to integrate gender aspects under the UNDP NDC planning and implementation process. NDC Support Programme. Although at different stages, the countries involved Considerable focus was on governance, policy and are analyzing their policy frameworks, strengthening planning for the NDC process. For example, it was their institutional mechanisms, planning gender- recognized that there is an urgent need to articulate responsive climate change actions and enhancing and connect the different climate policy and planning national-level capacities to incorporate gender equality instruments (NDCs, NAPs, Nat Comms, REDD Strategies, considerations. Coordinating and connecting the etc.) in order to ensure coherence at the national level, interlinked processes of climate change and gender as well as coherence with international frameworks. equality at the national level using the NDC framework as a driver, is expected to promote inclusive climate Many countries are starting with a gender analysis to outcomes, ensure multiplier effects and accelerate understand the different roles of women and men in a progress towards the SDGs. Indeed, the NDC processes particular sector, or to understand more broadly how both helps implement the Paris Agreement and realize climate change measures may affect them differently. SDGs. Current efforts towards NDC enhancement Some countries believe that a lack of gender data is provide an optimal entry point to improve, embed and their key limitation, however it is sometimes evident that start building the blocks to ensure gender integration countries could make better use of available data, and for future submission cycles. could work more closely with central statistics offices, or data collection points in line ministries. The Global Gender Workshop held between April 24- 26 in Nairobi, Kenya provided an opportunity for the Some sectors appear at first glance, to be at the early 17 programme countries to share experiences, ideas stages of incorporating gender equality perspectives and lessons learned to date on gender-responsive (e.g. transport and energy). Yet upon closer examination, 4 there is a wealth of evidence available on gender Even when the focus is on women having strong across many sectors, the challenge is to find it, apply it capacities to initiate change, it is necessary to re- to the national context, and re-apply a gender analysis emphasize that female headed households in rural and if further study of the sector is taking place for NDC also urban areas still often suffer, typically in relation to planning. Even without data, countries are findings wage gaps, non-pay care work burdens, or being able ways to act on climate change, which other countries to sign up officially to climate action initiatives. In the can draw from. For instance, Lebanon is being creative final analysis, gender relations between women and with its gender data, using ‘proxy’ data. On the other men must be considered, along with how institutions hand, some countries are focusing on gender equality can retrench gender roles through norms or procedures. issues in a few sectors first (such as agriculture or Both women and men at many levels and in both urban waste management). Others have ambitious NDCs and rural areas are the mainstay for ensuring that attempting to tackle all gender equality issues in NDC planning is actually implemented, has effect on all sectors. greenhouse gas reduction and leaves no one behind as we all strive to implement the Paris Agreement on Many countries are experiencing limited human climate change. resources and capacities to identify and follow through on gender issues. A related area noted is the Other important ideas emerging are climate and social need to build capacity on climate change amongst justice, and the need for livelihood transitions that gender specialists and those in ministries of gender do not leave women behind. Responding to climate or women’s affairs and the demand to build capacities change undoubtedly