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Gender and Climate Change Activities @ COP20 - Lima 2014

In December 2014, various GenderCC members and a representative of the GenderCC Secretariat attended COP20 in Lima, Peru.

A key development in Lima was the adoption of a new decision on gender equality under the COP Standing Agenda Item on Gender and Climate Change (SBI 16), which had resulted from the "Gender decision" (Decision 23/CP.18) in Doha focusing on gender balance and the need to enhance women’s participation in the UNFCCC delegations, boards and bodies.

With Decision 18/CP.20, the Lima Work Programme on Gender, Parties requested the Secretariat to prepare an action plan for the development of the two-year work programme on gender, including a mapping of all relevant decisions on gender and climate change. This workplan aims to advance implementation of gender-responsive climate policies and mandates across all areas of the negotiations.

Tensions around use of the term "gender equality" resulted in the inclusion of weaker language on gender balance, despite strong opposition from some Parties. The final decision does contain references to other gender equality mandates within the UNFCCC framework and "acknowledg[es] the progress made in advancing gender balance and gender equality within the context of climate change policies.


"Time to Stop Calling and Start Doing. Leaders, You Have 12 Months to get it Right"

As COP20 came to a close, the members of the Women and Gender Constituency issued a statement on the failure of the Lima outcome to reflect the urgency of the climate crisis:

For over two weeks in Lima, WGC and Women’s Caucus members participated directly in the negotiations, held press conferences, conducted advocacy trainings, wrote articles, released reports and briefing papers, joined demonstrations and marches and collaborated with dozens of colleagues from around the world who participated through all this action in the COP in Lima or in support activities back home in local communities.

In spite of these efforts, and those of many allies in Civil Society, the COP failed to move substantially forward towards the ultimate goal of agreeing on a plan to avert climate catastrophe, although in the final hours it agreed to an outcome in order to keep work moving towards Paris next year.


Gender Day

A Gender Day was held on December 9th, with a range of official events and gender-related side-events.