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GenderCC Newsletter
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Dear reader,
welcome to the April 2012 GenderCC newsletter.
In this issue, you will find, among others, reports on the GenderCC projects in Bangladesh and the Pacific as well as on flood early warning system research in Pakistan. It also provides an overview of current events and activities in the gender and climate change community.
For more information and updates, please visit our website at www.gendercc.net. We would also like to encourage you to contribute to the next newsletter – please send your articles to newsletter[at]gendercc.net.
We hope you will enjoy reading this issue!
Best regards,
Bettina, Kate and Sarah
for the GenderCC team in Berlin
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News from GenderCC
- Energy security and low carbon development in Small Island States
- News from the GenderCC project in Bangladesh
- News from the GenderCC International Secretariat
Activities of the Gender and Climate Change Community
- Flood early warning system (FEWS) research in Pakistan
- European Parliament: First commitment to address gender and climate change
News on Gender and Climate Change
Who is Who at GenderCC
Publications
Calendar of Events
Imprint
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Energy security and low carbon development in small island states
By Koin Etuati, Energy Programme, Economic Development Division, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)
Low carbon development is an important factor in promoting energy security, where efforts are geared towards ensuring that all people at all times have access to sufficient sustainable sources of clean and affordable energy and services to enhance their social and economic well-being.
Small Island States approach
The approaches to energy security and low carbon development in Small Island States differ, depending on each islands’ current energy situation. While Cook Islands, Nauru, Niue and Tuvalu have provided modern energy or electricity, to all their populations, there is a need to explore ways to reduce their dependency on imported fossil fuel so as to ensure sustainability and economic benefits for their communities. In contrast, Kiribati, Solomon Islands and the Marshall Islands still need to improve their access to modern energy.
Energy efficiency (EE) is an important approach to consider and it is widely acknowledged that gender considerations are vital in this area. Women are recognised as the main users of household electric appliances. Through their organised networks, women can greatly contribute to promoting energy conservation practices at home and also start to create awareness among their family members.
Gender Equity in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in the Pacific Project
The need for women to be actively involved in the implementation of energy security initiatives has been acknowledged at the regional level and is reflected in the Framework for Action on Energy Security in the Pacific. The framework also provided a basis for implementing the Gender Equity in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in the Pacific (Gender CC) Project at SPC.
The GenderCC Project is being implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) from 2011 to 2013. Over the last year, the project, in partnership with relevant stakeholders, has assisted in building capacity of local community-based organisations as well as government institutions on gender mainstreaming in climate change adaptation and energy projects.
Cook Islands, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Kiribati, Tuvalu and Solomon Islands were visited by the Project Coordinator in 2011 to conduct gender mainstreaming training as well as energy policy and planning workshops.
Conclusion
The contribution of Small Island Developing States to global greenhouse gas emission is small and evidently their contribution to help maintain global emissions under the 450ppm CO2 equivalent threshold is not that relevant. However, their choices on low carbon development initiatives should link to the economic and sustainable development of their countries.
This year being the „International Year of Sustainable Energy for All“ provides opportunities for new initiatives and approaches to energy security and puts the issue high on the agenda of all Pacific countries.
To read more about energy security in the Pacific, click here.
For more information, please contact: Koin Etuati, Energy Programme, Economic Development Division, SPC ( koine@spc.int)
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News from the GenderCC project in Bangladesh
By Sharmind Neelormi, Coordinator
The GenderCC project in Bangladesh is implemented by the Centre for Global Change (CGC) and supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety through the International Climate Initiative (ICI).
Platform on climate change and gender launched by ministries in Bangladesh
The Centre for Global Change (CGC) organized a workshop titled “Gender and Climate Change” on February, 12th in Dhaka with the representatives of different ministries. The objective of the program was to sensitize government officials on gender and climate change and to initiate a coordinated effort among different ministries to make climate change related activities gender sensitive. Senior officials from the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Women and Children Affairs, Agriculture, Social Welfare and Water were present.
Two presentations were delivered by Ms. Sharmind Neelormi (Coordinator, ICI project in Bangladesh) and Dr. Ahsan Uddin Ahmed (Executive Director, CGC). Dr. Ahsan gave an overview of climate change scenarios and the projected impacts on Bangladesh. Ms. Neelormi analyzed the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP) through a gender lens and suggested some entry points. The participants agreed that though some of the ministries used to make gender budgets for their own programs, there had been hardly any effort to build capacity among government officials on climate change and gender. The participating ministries decided to launch a platform on climate change and gender. CGC was invited to coordinate and give technical assistance to this platform.
Deutsche Welle reports on the ICI-project in Bangladesh
A journalist from Germany’s international broadcaster Deutsche Welle, Julia Henrichmann, interviewed some of the workshop participants as part of a documentary on GenderCC activities in Bangladesh.
Afterwards, the documentary team accompanied CGC officials to Shatkhira, the South West belt of Bangladesh, known as the most vulnerable zone under climate change in Bangladesh. On 13th and 14th of February the team visited some of the households at Debhata sub-district in Shatkhira to document adaptation practices that had been supported by the CGC. A consultation with local women from Debhata and women representatives of the local government had been arranged to listen to their adaptive practices, knowledge, priority livelihood options as well as access to institutional arrangements.
The documentary was broadcasted on April 2nd as part of the Deutsche Welle global 3000 programme and can be watched here.
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News from the GenderCC Secretariat
At the beginning of March, the GenderCC Secretariat had the pleasure of welcoming a new member to the team. Kate Cahoon has been extensively involved in women's rights activism in her home country Australia, as well as since her move to Germany in 2011. She is currently continuing her university career with a Masters in Political Science. Kate is greatly looking forward to focusing more strongly on the topic of gender and climate change and supporting the work of GenderCC.
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Activities of the Gender and Climate Change Community
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Flood early warning system (FEWS) research in Pakistan
By Maira Zahur
UNWOMEN Pakistan with the assistance of GIZ has just commissioned a national research with the vision to “examine, analyze and document FEWS in Pakistan with evidence-based and contextually relevant policy, systemic and operational recommendations for relevant stakeholders (national, provincial, district and communities) as to mainstreaming of gender into different components of FEWS i.e. risk assessment, monitoring and forecasting/issuance of alerts/warnings, dissemination, community awareness and preparedness”. The researching endeavor is expected to deliver the following outputs:
- Summarize key findings based on the review of secondary sources for gender and evacuation during the great Pakistan floods 2010 & floods in the last five years;
- Summarize key findings (primarily based on secondary sources review) while undertaking a gender review of the systems, procedures and protocols of FLOODS EWS at the meteorological department, Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) and other related counterparts from federal to lowest administrative tiers (federal, provincial, district, Tehsil & Union Council) in Pakistan. Examine and analyze the interplay between dissemination of flood alerts and warnings with contextual variations in six provinces/administrative units;
- Explore, assess, analyze and document the flood early warning systems from district to communities, by undertaking an extensive primary research, applying the gender lens and grounding analysis within regional and local socio, economic, political diversities (in six selected districts).
- Outline key policy and operational recommendations for relevant stakeholders for mainstreaming of gender into FEWS in Pakistan.
- Develop a dissemination and advocacy plan.
Maira Zahur is the focal point for the research, GenderCC national lead for Pakistan.
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European Parliament: First commitment to address gender and climate change
With a large majority, the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee of the European Parliament adopted a report on women and climate change on 28 February 2012. The report deals with gender aspects of climate change, adaptation, mitigation and financing.
The decision is an important milestone, as now, for the first time, the EU will deal with the gender dimension of climate change. Different experts working on gender issues, inluding Gotelind Alber of GenderCC, had given inputs during a public hearing of the committee last year. With the Danish presidency being very supportive and interested in the issue, the report will hopefully trigger further discussions within the EU.
The final text is based on the original report and includes some amendments made by members of the Parliament as well as additions by the environment Committee. The report will be voted on in plenary, most likely in April.
To view the press release on the committee meeting in French, click here. To read the draft report, click here.
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News on Gender and Climate Change
Nepalese Strategy towards mainstreaming gender and climate change (21 February 2012) The Nepalese government and IUCN held a national workshop on “Developing a National Strategy towards Mainstreaming of Gender and Climate Change”.
Fiji National Climate Change Policy launched (1 March 2012) The Climate Change Policy was endorsed by Fiji’s cabinet and launched by the Hon Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. It places gender considerations among the twelve principles that should guide the policy’s implementation.
Discussion on Gender and Climate Change in Bangladesh (25 March 2012) Climate change experts in Bangladesh have stressed the importance of strengthening institutional capacity and involving women in effective adaptation programmes, in order to cope with the adverse impacts of climate change. The discussion in Bangladesh was organised by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) and the World Bank.
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Who is Who at GenderCC - Letter from Teresa Perez, new member of the GenderCC board
Dear Colleagues and friends of the GenderCC Network: I’m glad to be part of the network on behalf of the World Rainforest Movement! Our organization has been part of GenderCC for a long time. My colleague Ana Filippini was representing us but in 2011 – and after many years of activism – she retired.
As of January 2012, I’ll be representing WRM in GenderCC. I’m an environmental activist and I joined the organization in 1999.
WRM is a network of organizations and citizens working to provide support to local communities struggling to defend their forests and to achieve respect for their rights over their forests and territories. WRM is part of a global movement for social change that aims at ensuring social justice, respect for human rights and environmental conservation.
The climate-related negotiations and resulting market-based false solutions to the climate crisis are severely jeopardizing local people’s rights to their forests and pose special risks to their livelihoods and particularly women’s lives.
Addressing gender issues in relation to forest loss and degradation is fundamental given that these processes have differentiated impacts on women and men that in general are more severe for women. But at the same time women play a fundamental role regarding wise and equitable forest use and are central actors of change.
WRM has a small and multi-task team which is headquartered in Uruguay.
Teresa Perez Rocha
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CCAFS, FAO (2012): ”Training Guide. Gender and Climate Change Research in Agriculture and Food Security for Rural Development” The guide sets out to provide users with resources and participatory action research tools for collecting, analyzing and sharing gender-sensitive information about agricultural communities, households and individuals who are facing climate change. It also applies knowledge gained beyond research to promote gender-sensitive adaptation and mitigation activities in agriculture.
David, E. / Enarson, E. (Eds.) (2012): “The Women of Katrina. How Gender, Race, and Class Matter in an American Disaster”, Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press. The volume draws on original research and firsthand narratives from women in diverse economic, political, ethnic, and geographic contexts to portray pre-Katrina vulnerabilities, gender concerns in post-disaster housing and assistance as well as women's collective struggles to recover from this catastrophe.
Isis International (2012): “Gender and Climate Change. Toolkit for Women on climate change” The toolkit is part of an endeavour by Isis International to explore innovative and strategic ways to communicate gender and climate justice issues, especially from Southern feminist perspectives. It provides community-based or grassroots organisations basic information on climate change and how to communicate climate justice with their constituencies and target groups.
Wichterich, Christa (2012): “The Future We Want. A Feminist Perspective” The report takes a look at Energy, Climate, Food and Agriculture as well as the Green Economy-concept from a feminist perspective.
genanet, ed (2012): Sustainable economic activity: some thoughts on the relationship between the care economy and the green economy. Background paper paper focussing on the linkages between care economy and green economy. The paper should be regarded as a contribution to the discussion on care and the transformation of a way of living and producing that has not taken socio-ecological responsibility sufficiently into account so far. It does not aim to answer all of the questions – indeed, it raises new issues.
Hummel, D. / Doevenspeck, M. & C. Samimi (Eds.) (2012): “Climate Change, Environment and Migration in the Sahel. Selected Issues with a Focus on Senegal and Mali” The overall goal of the micle-project (“Migration, Climate and Environmental Changes in the Sahel”) is to contribute to a better understanding of the complex relationships between (climate-related) environmental changes and migration. The working paper provides a summarized state of the art of selected issues analyzed within the project, including gender and the feminization of migration.
Eldis: “Gender and Climate Change Key Issues Guide” In collaboration with the BRIDGE programme, Eldis have recently launched a Gender and Climate Change Key Issues Guide, a collection of resources on areas like the impact of climate change on women and men, why gender-aware thinking is crucial in climate change policies and how women are key players in climate change solutions. It provides an introduction to the issues, summaries and online access to inspiring documents and links to key organisations.
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26 April 2012, Brussels, Belgium: Gender Research Improving Europe. A Seminar on Horizon 2020 and Gender Research
One of the world’s biggest challenges is the gender gap. At every stage of life, men’s and women’s life conditions are still highly unequal, in terms of health, financial situation, education, family life, political influence and opportunities for participating in the labour market on equal terms. According to the ‘Innovation Union’ strategy, failing to give men and women equal opportunities leads to mismanagement of human resources, skills and both sexes’ willingness to take part in the development of society. European society is facing great challenges and research can play a crucial part in solving the problems concerned. This seminar highlights the benefits of integrating gender research in EU funded research and innovation. One of the special themes of the seminar will be “Gender and Climate”. The programme can be viewed here.
14-25 May 2012, Bonn, Germany: Thirty-sixth session of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA)
SBSTA is one of the two permanent subsidiary bodies of the Convention. It provides information and advice on scientific as well as technical and methodological issues. Key areas of work include for example the promotion of the development and transfer of environmentally friendly technologies and the conduction of technical work to advance guidelines for preparing national communications and emission inventories. The provisional agenda for SBSTA’s next session can be downloaded here.
20-22 June 2012, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, “Rio +20”
20 years after the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) and 10 years after the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), Rio +20 sets out to secure renewed political commitment for sustainable development, assess the progress and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the major summits on sustainable development and address new and emerging challenges. To view the Conference website, click here.
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