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GenderCC Newsletter

June 2019

Dear readers,

The results of the European Union’s parliamentary elections stand for the deep crisis and division in the societies and politics in Europe and many other parts of the world. The winners of the elections were mostly the Green Parties on the one hand and the (radical) Right Wing Parties on the other hand. Two key issues play a fundamental role in these results: the concern on Climate Change, which probably the youth with their school strikes brought to the political agenda, and the renewed rise of racism, sexism and hate against diversity, gender and feminist fights. In this political climate, civil society’s commitment and fights are more important than ever. GenderCC will also not let hate win and continues fighting for a just world in every sense!

In this newsletter we present you with the latest preparations of GenderCC’s delegation towards the UNFCCC intersessional conference in Bonn, Germany, to take place from 17th to 27th of June. At the Conference, two important landmarks on gender and climate change will be reviewed, the Lima work programme and its gender action plan. GenderCC’s delegation will actively participate in the review process and keep you readers on track!

This edition will also feature updates about our current projects, fresh news, publications and suggestions of events on gender and climate change, updates from our members around the world on what they have been locally working on, as well as information on the current configuration of our Secretariat in Berlin.

We hope you enjoy this issue!

Kind regards,
The GenderCC Secretariat team
 

Content

News from GenderCC
    • Gender into Urban Climate Change Initiative
    • Not without us! Gender and climate justice in international climate politics
    • Our outreach activities
    Gender @ UNFCCC
    • GenderCC at SB50 in Bonn!
      Activities of the Gender and Climate Change Community
      • GenderCC's members start a new project in Uganda
      • Gender and Climate Change Meeting for women in Nigeria
      • Women and Gender Constituency webinar
      News on Gender and Climate Change
        • Call for applications
        • Good and bad news from Germany
        • The Margaridas' March (Marcha das Margaridas) in Brazil needs your support!
        Who is Who at GenderCC
        • Patricia left GenderCC
        • New staff member Sarah!
        Publications Calendar of Events

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        News from GenderCC

        Gender into Urban Climate Change Initiative

        In the last three months, the Gender Into Urban Climate Initiative project partners have been preparing status quo reports of all eight new pilot cities of the project (Kolkata, Chennai, Mexico City, Tlaxala, Ekurhuleni, eThekwini, Jember and Yogyakarta). The reports are on their way and will soon be available on our website.
        Moreover, they have initiated the work into the national level. The Gender Assessment and Monitoring of Mitigation and Adaptation (GAMMA) will be conducted at the national level in two of the project’s countries: Indonesia and South Africa. Our local partners, GenderCC Southern Africa in the latter country and Aksi! for gender, social & ecological justice and Solidaritas Perempuan in the former, are already in contact with national decision makers to kick off the assessments. At the same time, this work has been converging with the updating processes in each of these countries on their National Determined Contributions (NDCs). The project partners are actively engaging in the NDCs process in their respective countries. The knowledge developed through the project, especially the GAMMA tools, have been essential for that engagement.
        Finally, GenderCC’s Secretariat has been working on the compilation of national Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators and data considered relevant for the project’s topics for the four countries, India, Indonesia, Mexico and South Africa. This work is intended to support the partners in the conduction of assessments, preparation of reports and advocacy work. The materials will be available by the end of the project. The project is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI), supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).

        Not without us! Climate justice and gender justice in international climate politics

        In May, the Not Without Us! project kicked-off its third year of implementation. In 2019, the project will include two new participants from the Global South. The project team will publish a public call for applications on our website and social media. The project works with activists and gender experts from environmental groups and women’s organisations, primarily from the Global South, and support their attempts to connect local struggles for climate and gender justice with the international process at the UNFCCC, enabling networking with other actors and enhancing their advocacy. Keep following our pages to be informed about the call for new members, and get the materials we will launch this year before and during COP25 in Chile! The project is supported by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, and jointly implemented with LIFE - Bildung Umwelt Chancengleichheit e.V.

        Our outreach activities

        GenderCC provided inputs on gender and climate policy at various occasions in the last months. In March, a training on gender and climate change was given in Bali for the Friedrich Ebert Foundation’s (FES) Asian group. You can watch the video the FES made after the event here.  Also, in May, at the expert’s consultation meeting ‘Beyond Beijing +25: Recommendations for Action’ of the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) in Vilnius, Lithuania, and in June, during the Global NDC Conference 2019 in Berlin, as part of the workshop ‘Mainstreaming gender within the NDC process: entry points and ways forward’, organised by UNDP and GIZ, GenderCC had the honour to contribute to the discussions. If you want more information about these events, write to us!

        Gender @ UNFCCC

        GenderCC at SB50 in Bonn

        The 50th session of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies (SB50) will include a three-day gender workshop, from 16 to 18 June in Bonn, Germany. The workshop will start the review the Lima Work Programme on Gender (LWPG) and its Gender Action Plan (GAP).

        GenderCC will be attending SB50 from 17 to 27 June! The climate conference will mainly address the progress of the implementation of the Paris Agreement. One of the points of the implementation agenda will be the gender and climate change nexus. We will hold a side event with our partners from Women Engage for a Common Future, All India’s Women Conference, Centre for 21st Century Issues on how to implement gender-responsive Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) from the bottom up. If you are in Bonn, come see us on Tuesday, June 25th, at 16h45 at the Room Kaminzimmer. The full list of side events can be accessed here.

        Other important events taking place at SB50 are the 1st meeting of the Katowice Committee of Experts on the Impacts of the Implementation of Response Measures; the 3rd meeting of the Paris Committee on Capacity-building (PCCB); the 8th meeting of the Durban Forum on capacity-building; the 7th Dialogue on Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE); and two workshops on the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture. Different GenderCC delegates, along with our colleagues from the Women and Gender Constituency will follow-up on each of these events. You can see the entire agenda of the session here.

        Activities of the Gender and Climate Change Community

        GenderCC’s members start a new project in Uganda

        GenderCC’s member organisation Kirinda Youth Environmental Management and Poverty Alleviation Program Uganda (KYEMPAPU), led by Sylvia Namukasa, who is also a part of our board of directors, undertook a training on Strategic Plan Development on water and sanitation through civil society from 20 to 24 May. The programme is supported by the European Union and GIZ. Gender will be mainstreamed in an eight-month project and KYEMPAPU’s aim is to orient different stakeholders on the UNFCCC Gender Action Plan (GAP). If you would like to learn more about the project and the organisation, please do not hesitate to write us, so we can put you in touch with KYEMPAPU.

        Gender and Climate Change Meeting for women in Nigeria

        The Centre for Human Rights and Climate Change Research, presided by GenderCC’s member Omuyemen Lucia Odigie-Emmanuel, organised a 2-day meeting through its Programme on Gender, Rights and Climate Action. The goal was to enable women and young feminists to articulate their perspectives and expectations of COP24. The meeting was attended by CSOs, CBOs, and community representatives and selected young female lawyers in Nigeria.

        Women and Gender Constituency webinar

        Last Wednesday, the WGC and the Human Rights Working Group co-organised a webinar on the Katowice outcomes from a gender perspective, and the gender entry points for SB50. The recording of the webinar is available here.

        News on Gender and Climate Change

        Call for applications

        The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCD) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) are inviting young people from around the world to submit videos for the 2019 Global Youth Video Competition to three climate-change related topics. The winners of each category will have the chance to attend this year’s COP25 in Chile and their videos will be screened at the conference. Find more information and how to apply here.

        Good and bad news from Germany

        The German Environmental Ministry is currently developing a Gender Strategy in order to strengthen the integration of gender aspects in their policies, programmes and measures. A unit has been set up to deal with the gender aspects of environmental policy and social management. The strategy will also have an impact beyond the ministry and will focus on strengthening women in management positions. In this context, two meetings have already been held with the Minister and the State Secretary with female managers in environmental organisations. On the other hand, it is also intended to develop a gender-sensitive environmental and climate policy.
        Climate policy will be one of the focal areas of the gender strategy, and GenderCC is pleased that our research project ‘The contribution of gender justice to successful climate politics’ we carry out in collaboration with Wuppertal Institute and ISOE will be extended. We will provide advice to the Ministry on climate change topics and programmes, and support a high level workshop for senior level officials in the Ministry.
        At the Petersberg Dialogue, the Minister spoke out together with the Chilean Minister for the Environment in favour of gender being set as a top issue at COP25. The importance of the gender strategy in the environment and climate change sector is shown in the brand new report „Harnessing the Power of Data for Gender Equality“, introducing the SDG Gender Index. Based on three to five indicators for each of the SDGs it measures the state of gender equality in 14 out of the 17 SDGs. In a European and North American comparison Germany is ranked 7th, with moderate results in SDG 9 (Industry, Infrastructure and Innovation), SDG 13 (Climate) und SDG 17 (Partnerships). The Gender Strategy of the Environment Ministry might help to improve the situation in the future.
        Of course, all this should not obscure the fact that Germany is failing to meet its climate targets. The 2020 targets are very likely to be missed by 8%, and even by European standards Germany is only in third last place. The climate protection law presented by the environmental ministry - an important step in the right direction - is rejected by the coalition partner. Therefore, Embracing the Fridays4Futre movement as done by German officials is of no use here, as clear action is needed instead of encouraging words.

        The Margaridas’ March (Marcha das Margaridas) in Brazil needs your support!

        Since 2000 and every four years, the largest gathering of women in Latin America takes place to defend sustainable agriculture, food sovereignty, led by women from the Brazilian countryside and the forests, against exploitation, domination and all forms of oppression and in favor of equality, autonomy and women's freedom.
        The movement is named after Margarida Maria Alves, a Brazilian activist who fought for women’s peasant workers and their rights. She was assassinated for her commitment in 1983.
        In the current context of the country, it has never been more important to defend social and environmental rights. You can support the movement through a donation at the link (only in Portuguese). And you are invited to join the march on the 13th and 14th of August in Brasilia, Brazil! Spread the word!

        Who is Who at GenderCC

        Patricia left GenderCC

        Our former project and finance coordinator Patricia Bohland left GenderCC. Patricia worked for GenderCC for three years and is now with LIFE - Bildung Umwelt Chancengleichheit e.V. We will continue working together and staying in touch with her. We wish Patricia all the best in her new professional path!

        New staff member Sarah!

        We are pleased to welcome our new staff member Sarah Louis Montgomery! Sarah has a vast experience in development policy and capacity building, including anti-racism work. She will start working with us in July.

        Publications

        “Reach Everyone on the Planet…” by Kimberlé Crenshaw and Intersectionality

        On April 24, Prof. Kimberlé Crenshaw gave a lecture in Berlin on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the first time she coined the term intersectionality. The event celebrated this landmark in gender and race studies and practice. The publication “Reach Everyone on the Planet…”, organised by the Center for Intersectional Justice (CIJ) and the Gunda Werner Institute honours Crenshaw’s “contribution not only to social justice movements but also to the lives of people located at the intersections of several axes of oppression. This book gathers texts from prominent activists, critical thinkers and academics in Germany and Europe”. More

        Gender in the transition to sustainable energy - ENERGIA

        This new report contains the results of the research on the benefits to take into account a gender approach into energy access interventions and provides recommendations for energy policies.
        The five-year research programme of ENERGIA explored the areas of electrification, productive use of energy, energy sector reform, role of the private sector in the energy access, the political economy of energy policies and women's energy entrepreneurship. More

        Analytical study on gender-responsive climate action - UN Human Rights Office

        “In the study, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights examines the impacts of climate change on women, identifies human rights obligations and responsibilities of States and other actors to implement gender-responsive approaches, shares illustrative practices, and issues conclusions and recommendations.” More.

        Climate Change Adaptation and Gender Inequality: Insights from Rural Vietnam - Josephine Ylipaa, Sara Gabrielsson and Anne Jerneck

        “Based on a qualitative research approach using a feminist political ecology lens, this article investigates gendered patterns of rural agrarian livelihoods and climate adaptation in the province of Thái Bình, Vietnam. With little attention being paid to an increasingly female workforce, existing gender inequalities may be exacerbated, threatening the future existence of rural livelihoods and the viability of Vietnam’s expansion into global markets.” More

        Feminist political ecologies of the commons and commoning - F. Clement, W. Harcourt, D. Joshi, C. Sato (eds.)

        The 13th Volume of the International Journal of the Commons presents super interesting articles on Feminist political ecologies of the commons and communing. More

        Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction – United Nations

        “The UN Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR) is the flagship report of the United Nations on worldwide efforts to reduce disaster risk.” More

        Calendar of Events
        17-27 June, Bonn, Germany: SB50 - Bonn Climate Change Conference The 50th session of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies (SB50) will take place from 17 to 27 June 2019, in Bonn, Germany. GenderCC will be present with a delegation of around 20 people each week!
        28 June, Geneva, Switzerland: Panel discussion on women’s rights and climate change: climate action, best practices and lessons learned The 41st session of the Human Rights Council will include the panel discussion “Women’s rights and climate change: climate action, best practices and lessons learned”. 19-23 August, Salvador, Brazil: UN Latin America & Caribbean
          2-6 September, Bangkok, Thailand: Asia- Pacific Climate Week “These two events will be taking place ahead of the UN Climate Action Summit in New York City on 23 September, designed to support efforts to ensure rapid implementation of the Paris Agreement, to accelerate climate action in all areas of society and to increase climate ambition ahead of the update of national climate action plans (“Nationally Determined Contributions” or “NDCs”) in 2020”. The Latin America & Caribbean Climate Week will take place from 19 to 23 August in Salvador, Brazil and the Asia-Pacific Climate Week will be from 2 to 6 September 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand.  
        GenderCC - Women for Climate Justice

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