By Sallie Chaballier (AAWE Paris)
"We have everything we need already on paper, we just need to implement it! The 1995 Beijing Platform was a turning point in looking at women and climate and the interlinkages with environmental issues." Jeannette Gurung, Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (WOCAN)
Climate change has a disproportionate impact on women and girls worldwide. Climate-related SDGs all have gender targets and efforts are ongoing to raise awareness of the links between gender and climate change. The lack of progress of incorporating a gender lens in work on climate change was repeated frequently throughout the ECE review meeting. This panel was particularly illuminating about the challenges that remain in this area. Even in a country as progressive as Finland, which is striving to become free of fossil fuels, young women are very concerned about climate change.
Climate issues have been marginalized in the women’s movement; this is changing but climate has not been a key theme in gender equality advocacy and action. In the B+25 country reports dimension 6 on climate action, only 16 countries reported. To make national climate strategies and plans more gender inclusive, we need more women in political decision making, gender mainstreaming in all branches of government, and involvement of all stakeholders in the development of environmental policies.
Climate change is a cross-cutting issue, like gender equality, and both have been difficult to mainstream as they present a double challenge. Financing is a major challenge for gender and climate change interventions. Ms. Gurung noted that viewing women as victims marginalizes them. The dominant narrative describes women as vulnerable victims, which leaves them out, excludes them from opportunities. While climate organizations are still male-dominated, "climate finance can catalyze women's empowerment." Innovative funding mechanisms are needed: investing in green technologies and women entrepreneurs; providing grants, loans, and technical assistance; and engaging women’s organizations as partners.