Gender and Climate Change Guidance Note, June 2014

8/11/2019 Gender and Climate Change Guidance Note, June 2014

1/12

A woman whistles to the call the wind as she separates grain from cha near the town of Ko do in the Karamoja region of northeastern Uganda. Tradi onal farming methods are employedin this part of Uganda where food security is very much an issue, especially during the dry season. The URCS food security program is helping the local popula on adapt to a sedentary wayof life, to deal with the e ects of climate change in the area, and to maximise the food yield from their meagre resources.

V i c t o r L a c k e n

/ I F R C

Gender and Climate ChangeThis guidance note outlineshow climate change can impactmen and women di erentlyand iden es importantways in which gender rolescan strengthen mens andwomens capacity to adaptto changing climate-relatedrisks. As gender equality isan ongoing commitment ofthe Interna onal Red Crossand Red Crescent Movement,the note proposes steps forhelping Red Cross Red Crescentcolleagues to be climate-smart

and gender sensi ve in theirprogramming.

This resource can be used asa tool during gender training,as an informa on sheet forsta and volunteers, to helpNa onal Socie es informpolicy dialogues aboutclimate change, and as part ofeduca on ac vi es in Na onalSocie es.

Gender roles can shapevulnerability to climatechangeClimate change is a global problemwith local impacts. Climate change isalready making some hazards such asheat waves, heavy rainfall and stormsurges more frequent and severe. Notonly are pa erns of extreme weatherevents changing, long term averages inrainfall, sea level and temperature areshi ing as well. When these changesintersect with with factors that increasevulnerability and exposure, such asenvironmental degrada on and peopleliving along coastlines, the likelihood ofdisasters increases, especially for the

worlds poor (IPCC, 2012).

GUIDANCE NOTE


2/12

These risks are set to increase intothe future and have the poten al tolimit the e ec veness of developmente orts. Impacts may include coastalerosion, food insecurity, increasedooding, enhanced prevalence ofdiseases, dwindling water resourcesand loss of biodiversity, including

sheries (IPCC, 2014).

Vulnerability to climate changeis socially di eren ated; that is,the causes of women and mensvulnerability to climate change aremany and varied (see Boxes 1 & 2).Gender intersects with social, culturaland economic inequali es to createthis vulnerability. In many parts of the

world, womens unequal access toresources, educa on, legal protec on,

decision-making and power makethem more vulnerable to the impactsof climate change. For example, lowerlevels of educa on and literacy ofsome women can limit their abilityto access important informa onand support in order to prepare fordisasters or adapt to longer-term

climate change.

2

Kiriba , May 2013, Eita village, Atanga sta on. Mathew Matang, 55. 5 children (2 boys, 3 girls). He has been living on this land for more than 30 years. He owns a car workshop and stocks all

the old car behind his workshop. For now several years the water is coming in land and the cars are pollu ng the water. The well he had in his backyard was also contaminated by sea water,he uses it now as a sep c tank.

B e n o i t M a t s h a - C a r p e n e r

/ I F R C


3/12

Gender and Climate Change 3

A closer look at gender and climate changeExamples of di eren al vulnerability

Women and girls

In their mul ple roles as food producers andproviders, as guardians of health, and as caregivers,climate related hazards such as drought and erra crainfall can further burden women.

Girls are more likely to be withdrawn from schoolin mes of stress. As climate change may increasewomens work loads, girls may be withdrawn fromschool in order to carry out extra household tasks. A

lack of educa on can further intensify their long termvulnerability.

Cultural s gmas in some places can mean thatwomen are not taught life saving skills like how toswim and climb trees. This can leave women morevulnerable during a ood as these survival skills aretradi onally only taught to men. More oods dueto climate change may mean even higher fatali esof women and girls unless this gender sensi vevulnerability is addressed.

Violence from in mate partners and male familymembers can escalate during emergencies. This tendsto increase as the crisis worsens, and men have losttheir jobs and status par cularly in communi eswith tradi onal gender roles, and where familyviolence is normalised.

As natural disasters become more frequent, thenumber of women in displacement camps mayincrease. Women in such camps, especially womenliving alone, are vulnerable to sexual violence.

Limited access to and understanding of informa onand in uence on decision making processes limitthe capacity of women to prepare and respond toadverse impacts of climate change. Women andgirls are at risk for sexually transmi ed diseases andunwanted pregnancies due to sexual assault in mesof emergency. Lack of health infrastructure can meanthey cant access adequate medical treatment orreproduc ve health op ons.

Men and boys

As agricultural ac vi es such as farming andshing become more di cult due to climatechange in some places, men may have to moveaway from home and into ci es to nd work.

No ons of masculinity can compel men andboys to take more risks and as a result, mensmortality in mes of disaster is highest duringan event.

Men are less likely than women to seek outhelp and change habits. Because of the highuncertain es involved in climate change,reducing vulnerability requires experimen ngwith new strategies and those unwilling tochange response to new informa on will beless successful in adapta on.

Men may not have knowledge of accurate orcurrent informa on on climate change impactsin domes c arenas, such as availability ofdrinking water or quality of crops being usedfor cooking. There may be social barriersin place for men to collect and update thisinforma on. Limited access to such informa oncan impact the quality of decision makingand planning, and results in less appropriateprograms for the community.

As natural disasters become more frequent,communi es may experience repeatedtemporary evacua ons. In periods of

evacua on or crises, many of the social normsguiding behaviour are broken and there is anincrease in stress, fear and frustra on. Meno en exhibit an increase in violent or risktaking behaviour which impacts upon thosearound them.


4/12


5/12

Climate smart communi es

Climate smart ac vity Examples of gender sensi ve approaches

Community is aware of changes in weatherpa erns , and recognizes that some weather-related risks in the future are likely to bedi erent from the past.

Women and men are asked to re ect on changes they may beobserving and how these changes may be posi ve or nega ve.

Raise awareness in communi es on how a changing climate maya ect men and womens livelihoods in the short, medium andlong-term.

Community receives and understandslocally available weather informa on, andhouseholds know appropriate ac ons totake when inclement weather is approaching.

Consider how men and women, boys and girls, receive andunderstand weather informa on and ensure that all haveknowledge of what ac ons they can take to prepare based on thisinforma on.

In places where credible seasonal forecastsare available 2 the community has a reliablerela onship with an organisa on that canhelp access and make use of the forecast.

Encourage female sta from meteorological o ces andgovernment departments to join in community trainings womeno en feel more comfortable talking to women.

Enable equal distribu on of informa on through iden fying genderappropriate channels.

Include men and women in climate eld schools so that both menand women know how to apply seasonal forecast informa on totheir needs and contexts.

Community carries out 'vulnerability andrisk assessments' that note observedchanges in weather, seasonality and hazardpa erns and uses the informa on todevelop local ac on plans.

Understanding gendered divisions of labour (eg. who collectswater, who is responsible for preparing communi es, whomanages money, who makes decisions, who manages food andwater, who provides care for the sick) helps to understand variouschallenges faced by men and women in communi es. It can thenhelp determine who has knowledge of various changes occurring intheir environment, the impacts of these and solu ons to them.

Encourage men and women to be meaningfully involved in decisionmaking processes.

Community monitors and evaluatesapproaches to disaster risk reduc on andlearns from experience in order to adjust plansto adapt to climate variability and change.

Collect gender disaggregated data during monitoring and evalua on.

Use this me to re ect on whether the various needs, knowledgeand capaci es of men and women have been harnessed inimplementa on.

Community advocates for its adapta onneeds towards appropriate climate-relatedauthori es and stakeholders.

Both women and men have the opportunity to share theirchallenges and needs with climate related stakeholders.

Remember: Impacts of climate change will vary across regions, na ons, provinces and locally and therefore impactcommuni es, including men and women, boys and girls, di erently. Local contexts must be taken into considera on whenconsidering the implica ons of climate change and solu ons to adapt to the changes.



6/12

Solomon Islands, Ghatere village, Kolombranga Island. Pepilyn Silas. To adapt to the increasing issues linked to climatechange, the community has introduced new methods of gardening such as the basket gardens, or just by rising up thegardens to avoid them to be in contact with the sea water.

Remember: Working with an economically and socially representa ve crosssec on of a ected men and women is important for e ec ve targe ng, as is their

par cipa on in decision making processes (IFRC 2003).

6


/ I F R C

Di erentresponsibili es di erent knowledge di erent observa ons

Solomon Islands and VanuatuRed Cross Socie es undertakevulnerability and capacityassessments and planning withremote communi es to worktowards increasing communityresilience to disasters andclimate change. Focus groupdiscussions in Solomon

Islands and Vanuatu revealedthat community membersno ced changes occurring intheir environment that mayhave linkages with climatechange. In separate groups,men and women no ceddi erent changes accordingto their responsibili es in thecommunity. For example, toadapt to the increasing issueslinked to climate change, thecommunity has introducednew methods of gardeningsuch as the basket gardens,or raising gardens to avoidcontact with sea water.


7/12


8/12

In the Sahel region the rainy season starts towards the end of the summer. O en the ground is so dry that it cant absorbe the water and local ooding occur. Climate change has made therains erra c and farming and life in general is o en plagued by to li le or too much rain.

8

S u o m e n P u n a i n e n R i s

/ F i n n i s

h R e d C r o s s 2 0 1 2

Understanding climate impacts on menand women through games

Kenya is experiencing more extreme ooding aswell as drought, some mes in the same district orat the same me in di erent parts of the country.The Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre wasinvolved in the design of a game that sta and

volunteers of Kenya Red Cross could use to openconversa ons about gender implica ons ofclimate change with rural farming communi es.The Kenya Red Cross has trained facilitators touse this game to deepen understanding withina ected communi es about climate risk strategiesto cope with the changing weather pa ernsa ec ng agriculture. The game also opens updeep discussion about the implica ons of theaddi onal pressures driven by climate changefor women and girls vs. men and boys. The game

enables discussion of a challenging topic in a non-challenging environment. It also allows women andmen to understand each others situa ons be er.

More informa on climatecentre.org/site/games


9/12

This Pakistani family sit in front of the remains of their house a er severe oods.


I F R C

/ O l i v i e r M a

h y s .

Management and training

RESPONSIBILITIESIt is the program coordinator and/or the team leaders responsibilityto report on and plan for gendersensi ve strategies and develop anunderstanding of gender speci caspects of climate change. Gendermainstreaming responsibili es shouldbe included in the posi on descrip onsof all team members.

TOOLSDevelop easy-to-use and relevanttools to support sta and volunteers.Adapt and use exis ng tools, andensure informa on collec on tools andrepor ng formats are always gendersensi ve.

TRAININGDevelop culturally appropriate gendertraining programs for sta and localcommuni es. Use the IFRC TrainingPack on Gender Issues and othersuitable tools (see Resources).

Ensure community-based emergencypreparedness projects - such asdisaster training and educa onprograms include both women and

men and address their di erent needsand concerns.

Consider using an experienced gendertrainer to develop a tailored program/or to modify exis ng materials.

REPORTINGMake informa on collec on tools andrepor ng formats gender sensi ve.Gender disaggregated data shouldbe collected and incorporated into

all phases of disaster managementprogram, from the ini al vulnerabilityand capacity assessment to planning,implementa on and evalua on.

RECRUITMENTRecruit men and women as staand volunteers. Gender sensi verecruitment should be part of anoverall strategy not only to ensuregender balance but also so thatall new sta and volunteers have anunderstanding of, and sensi vity to,gender and climate change. This mayinvolve holding community forums toexplain why both men and women areneeded for programs, and recrui ngin alterna ve ways, i.e. hiring peoplewithout literacy skills (in communi esthese are typically women) if the roledoesnt require literacy.


10/12

10


/ I F R C

O b e d W e w o / I n

d o n e s i a n R e

d C r o s s


11/12


I F R C

/ O l i v i e r M a

h y s .

References & further guidance

Footnotes1. The Minimum Standards were developed as a prac cal checklist to help prac oners ensure their risk reduc on e orts are climate smart and

contribute to climate change adapta on, meaning that these e orts consider the future risk pa erns induced by a changing climate, o en includingrising uncertain es. The Minimum Standards are not idealised solu ons, but rather prac cal approaches to implement DRR ac vi es in a way that isachievable.

2. Availability of skilled seasonal forecasts depends on how and where in the world El Nio and La Nia events in uence regional weather pa erns

Red Cross Red Crescent SourcesInterna onal Federa on of Red Cross and Red Crescent Socie es, Gender Policy

Interna onal Federa on of Red Cross and Red Crescent Socie es, 2010, A Prac cal Guide to Gender- Sensi ve Approaches for Disaster Management ,Asia Paci c Zone.

Interna onal Federa on of Red Cross and Red Crescent Socie es, 2003, Gender Perspec ves: A collec on of case studies for training purposes

Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, 2008, Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Guide , www.climatecentre.org/site/publica ons/85

Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre 2013, Minimum standards for climate smart disaster risk reduc on , www.climatecentre.org/site/minimumstandards

Other SourcesAustralian Department of Foreign A airs and Trade, h p://aid.dfat.gov.au/LatestNews/Pages/png-men-champion-gender-equality.aspx

Dankelman, I. 2010, Gender and Climate Change: An introduc on , EarthScan, London.

Oxfam, 2012, Gender, Disaster Risk Reduc on, and Climate Change Adapta on: A Learning Companion Oxfam Disaster Risk Reduc on and ClimateChange Adapta on Resources h p://www.gdnonline.org/resources/OxfamGender&ARR.pdf

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2014) Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adapta on, and Vulnerability. Part A: Global and Sectoral Aspects.Contribu on of Working Group II to the Fi h Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press,Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY USA.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2012) Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adapta on. ASpecial report of Working Groups I and II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

Pa A, Daze A, Suarez P. 2009, Gender and climate change vulnerability: Whats the problem, whats the solu on? in M. Ruth, M.E. Ibarraran (eds)Distribu onal Impacts of Climate Change and Disasters: Concepts and Cases.

Plan Interna onal, 2013, State of the worlds girls: In Double Jeopardy: Adolescent girls and Disasters, h p://plan-interna onal.org/girls/reports-and-publica ons/the-state-of-the-worlds-girls-2013.php?lang=en

IUCN, UNDP, Global gender and climate alliance, Training manual on gender and climate change h p://uicn.org/what/tpas/climate/resources/publica ons/?uPubsID=3592

Global gender and climate alliance, h p://www.gender-climate.org/

United Na ons Framework Conven on on Climate Change, 2013, Best prac ces and available tools for the use of indigenous and tradi onal knowledgeand prac ces for adapta on, and the applica on of gender-sensi ve approaches and tools for understanding and assessing impacts, vulnerability andadapta on to climate change.

UNDP 2007, Poverty Eradica on, MDGs and Climate Change , UNDP, New York

9 December 2007, residents of Tanjung Benoa village, Bali, Indonesia, and local Red Cross volunteers plan ng mangroves to help stop costal erosion in the village.Indonesian Red Cross is plan ng a total of 10,000 mangroves in the village one for every par cipant at the 2007 UN Climate Change summit.


12/12

Na onal O ce 155 Pelham St Carlton VIC 3053 T 03 9345 1800

SUPPORTER SERVICESCENTREGPO Box 2957 Melbourne VIC 8060 T 1800 811 700 F 1800 855 240

E [email protected]

June 2014

d

Gender and Climate Change Guidance Note, June 2014

Documents

Transcript of Gender and Climate Change Guidance Note, June 2014