Gender at COP15

Copenhagen, Tuesday 15 December

Overall at the COP15, it was very encouraging to see so many female delegates participating at all levels. Some had even brought their baby’s to the conference, proving that women can play a lead role in society while committing to her motherly duties. As an executive member for an international women’s organisation, I was particularly thrilled that the gender dimension in climate justice had been highlighted by so many delegates.

Effectively, women are agents of change in the fight for climate change. In the developing world, women represent two-thirds of people living in extreme poverty who are highly dependent on natural resources. In Africa, 80% of food is produced by women using resources harvested in local areas. Women also have duty of collecting water and firewood for cooking and heating purposes, yet due to drought, uncertain rainfall and deforestation, women have to travel further to meet their needs which leaves them vulnerable to rape or attack. Furthermore, women have little or no decision-making power in developing areas, therefore have no say within their communities.

Women are keepers of traditional knowledge and trainers to their children. Their responsibility to their household and community make them ideal stewards in adapting strategies in environmental measures. The active participation of women in the development of funding criteria and allocation of resources for climate change initiatives is critical, particularly at local level as women share information and influence female community processes.

At its 46th session in 2002, the Commission on the Status of Women took up climate change issues when it addressed environmental management and mitigation of natural disasters. Action was called to mainstream a gender perspective into ongoing research on the impact of climate change, which would be implemented in policies and programmes.

Just as the poor are not responsible for solving poverty, women are not alone in solving gender justice. It is crucial to identify gender-sensitive strategies in responding to environmental and humanitarian crises caused by climate change, and such vision should be promoted at national and international. Women continue to be underrepresented in decision-making on sustainable development including in climate change, thus gender must not be dismissed.

Women in Copenhagen, including myself, are fighting for gender justice in climate change areas, and empowerment to women must be given by enabling women to gain access to information, training, credit nd skill development through international program that ensures full participation in climate change initiatives.