More emphasis is needed on gender equality and equity and women’s empowerment for climate action.
Diversity, equity, inclusion and justice are widely used terms that are garnering greater awareness. Policies are being implemented to promote the representation and participation of groups with diverse identities, age, cultures, backgrounds and perspectives in almost every sector. Climate change is a key area with strong commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice from the legislative level down to personal initiatives.
Climate change has highlighted environmental injustices: its impacts occur disproportionately high across regions and within communities that are not major greenhouse gas emitters. To prevent further heightening of vulnerability and inequality, global climate justice must be manifest by protecting and empowering marginalized populations – youth, indigenous people, minorities and women – for climate action. Within the context of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, SDG 5 (gender equality) and SDG 10 (reduced inequalities) specifically address gender diversity, equity and inclusion. SDG 13 (climate action) supports these causes and has attracted innumerable youth and indigenous people thanks to events like Climate Weeks. However, more emphasis is needed on gender equality and equity5 and women’s empowerment for climate action, especially in relation to climate services such as early warning systems for floods and droughts.
Gender inequalities between women and men remain. Conscious and subconscious biases hinder societal progress, even in areas such as climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience. This societal problem is becoming more visible and consequential as the impacts of climate change intensify around the world and further exacerbate pre-existing social inequalities and current climate vulnerabilities.
The climate crisis is not gender neutral. Women are among the most vulnerable to disasters and bear a heavy climate burden. Women and girls are often disproportionately impacted during extreme weather, climate and water-related events, which further amplifies existing gender inequalities and poses unique threats to their livelihoods, rights, health and safety. When climate change impacts result in the displacement of people, women and girl migrants experience a double vulnerability as they are particularly easy victims for human traffickers, forced labor, unsafe and unhealthy working conditions as well as of sexual and gender-based violence.
Limited or lack of gender equality and equity for climate action manifests itself in many forms, levels and places: from the classroom to work environments, from academia to policy realms. For instance, women are not represented adequately in critical United Nations climate talks.
Regardless of where, when and how inequality, injustice and unfairness occur, the fact remains the same: without the empowerment of women, climate action will not be sustainable.
Women’s empowerment in science, policy and practice
Climate action – which often functions at the interface of science, policy and practice – should be rooted on principles of gender diversity, equity and inclusion. Women’s leadership is a key pillar of climate action. In this respect, Resilient40 has a fundamental responsibility in enhancing the scope, quality and level of women’s participation in their organizational policies and decision-making.
In the context of climate change and development, integration of gender equality into climate policy has been slow at both global and national levels. Women’s political leadership in global climate diplomacy can allow for more integration of DEI principles and encourage gender sensitive climate policy making while tackling gender inequalities in climate mitigation and adaptation. It should be noted that improving the underrepresentation of women in climate negotiation talks requires government action backed by finances.
Resilient40 promotes gender equality and inclusiveness as essential components of project design planning and implementation. Building weather and climate resilient societies while ensuring gender equality and empowering women is a priority for Resilient40. As an African Youth organization, Resilient40 has a key role in empowering women nationally, regionally and globally for climate action.
