Entrenched Gender inequalities of Climate Crisis: Feminist approach to solutions
Global processes and climate politics continues to leave a gap in gender inclusive decision making! Participation in climate and environmental decision-making is a human right, and equal participation of people of all genders generates outcomes that are more effective and sustainable. Yet women are under-represented in decision making in the landscape of climate negotiations, recent data sheds light on the persistent challenge of achieving gender balance within the UNFCCC space. There are 132 UNFCCC decisions in regard to gender, with 54 of them specifically referencing gender balance in decision-making processes, though gender balance in UNFCCC space continues to fall short- at COP28 there were 34% (35% in COP27) women across all national delegations compared to 31% at COP14 in 2008 the first year that I started joining the COP process. Only 2% of delegation at COP28 had equal number of men and women, (if not mistaken they were from China and Russia) while 79% of delegations had more men than women. These statistics underscore the ongoing disparity in women's participation in climate negotiations, emphasizing the pressing need for more concerted efforts to promote gender balance and inclusivity within the UNFCCC framework.
The role of women in leading climate action and policymaking
Women, girls, and gender minorities often bear the burden of climate change impacts, facing limited access to resources and decision-making power, testing caregiving duties during crises, and intersecting vulnerabilities with socioeconomic status.
Women's empowerment in climate action involves ensuring their representation in decision-making structures, allowing them to contribute their unique knowledge and expertise on climate change. Women's participation in developing funding criteria, allocating resources, and shaping innovative technologies is vital for creating adaptive, appropriate, and sustainable 33-solutions. It is essential to mainstream gender perspectives into national policies, sustainable development plans, and climate interventions to benefit all.
Integration of women's voices, recognising their agency and leadership, in climate governance at local and national levels should be promoted. This needs to happen at global climate discussions and within the private sector. The empowerment of Indigenous and local women in climate leadership roles need to be supported. It will be a step in the direction of localisation. To enhance conservation efforts and achieve better climate outcomes it is quintessential to promote locally led initiative for adaptation with women’s participation ensured. It is essential to integrate gender into these operations, ensuring that the transitions in energy; agriculture, food, water, and land; cities; transport; and manufacturing benefit women and men. Women cannot start green businesses or get green jobs if they are tied down with care work; lack affordable childcare is a hinderance. The gaps in ownership of assets and access to finance poses a challenge impacting the efforts to b6oost resilience and adaptive capacity in gender-sensitive ways. Economic disparities intersect with climate injustices, with low-income communities lacking resources for adaptation, while wealthier individuals can afford resilient infrastructure.
We need to prioritize resilience focusing on gender sensitive approach and initiatives. ActionAid Bangladesh (AAB) involves women in disaster risk management efforts, such as the Women-led Emergency Group (WLEG), which leads responses during disasters since late 80s. AAB supports women's access to Climate Resilience Sustainable Agriculture (CRSA) practices for climate resilience for decades. Bangladesh has created the example of women led emergency response and adaptation by communities.
Intersectionality is a critical framework for understanding the multifaceted nature of social identities and power structures, recognizing that individuals experience overlapping systems of oppression and privilege based on various aspects of their identity, such as race, gender, class, sexuality, and ability. Applying intersectionality to climate activism reveals how environmental issues intersect with social injustices, highlighting the disproportionate impacts of climate change on marginalized communities. Environmental racism, for example, refers to the disproportionate siting of pollution and hazardous waste facilities in marginalized communities, where industrial plants and landfills are often located near low-income neighborhoods inhabited by racial minorities, resulting in higher rates of pollution-related health issues and vulnerability to climate-related disasters, as seen in the Dalit community in Bangladesh.
Indigenous communities, deeply connected to the land, suffer disproportionate impacts, highlighting the importance of Indigenous knowledge and rights in conservation efforts amidst broader issues of colonization and systemic injustice. Lastly, people with disabilities face unique challenges in climate-related disasters, necessitating inclusive emergency planning and infrastructure to address accessibility barriers and health conditions exacerbated by environmental changes.
Feminist approaches put across the discussion on debt and tax from a feminist and climate justice perspective, funding at the nexus of climate and gender, alternatives to the extractive obsession with economic growth, and ways to advance the structural transformation of our economic and financial systems. Patriarchy, entrenched gender inequalities, and traditional power structures inhibit the effectiveness of feminist approaches by limiting women's access to decision-making processes, resources, and opportunities to influence climate policies and interventions. Moreover, limited awareness of the gendered dimensions of climate change among policymakers, practitioners, and community members, coupled with insufficient capacity to implement feminist approaches effectively, further complicates efforts to address the differential impacts of climate change on various gender groups. Additionally, resistance to gender equality initiatives stemming from traditional attitudes and patriarchal norms presents a significant barrier to progress toward more inclusive and equitable climate solutions. Furthermore, limited data and research on the gendered impacts of climate change pose challenges to the development of evidence-based policies and interventions that effectively address the needs of diverse gender groups.
However, despite these challenges, feminist approaches offer significant opportunities for driving positive change. Empowering women and marginalized gender groups, enabling their meaningful participation in decision-making processes, and ensuring equitable access to resources and opportunities are crucial steps toward enhancing the effectiveness and sustainability of climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. By mainstreaming gender considerations into climate policies and frameworks, feminist approaches can promote synergies between gender equality, climate action, and sustainable development, leading to more integrated and effective policy responses. Moreover, feminist approaches have the potential to catalyze broader social transformation toward more equitable and sustainable societies by challenging patriarchal norms, promoting gender equality, and addressing systemic injustices.
Partnership among government, NGOs, and grassroots organizations:
Collaboration between government, non-governmental organizations (I/NGOs), and grassroots organizations is essential for advancing climate and gender justice. By investing in evidence-based policy advocacy, capacity building, and community engagement, NGOs can integrate feminist perspectives into climate change planning processes and empower marginalized voices, particularly those of women, in decision-making related to climate change adaptation and mitigation. Leveraging strong partnerships with governments, international organizations, and diverse stakeholders enables NGOs to promote women's leadership, foster gender-responsive approaches to climate action, and advocate for the implementation of gender-sensitive policies and programs. Additionally, collaboration with grassroots and local organizations facilitates the implementation of context-specific, community-driven climate solutions, enhances local resilience, and ensures that climate action is inclusive and equitable.
We need the policy-makers, movers and shakers both nationally and globally to consider the following:
Invest and fund locally-led Gender-Just Climate Action; ensure gender-responsiveness of climate finance; understand the imperative of financing SRHR for Climate Justice; prioritise the vision on economic justice by young women, indigenous communities, and address poverty in its multi-faceted dimension; make the new Loss & Damage Fund Gender-Responsive; most importantly decentralise and empower local government as well as communities, especially the women and young.
By working together, governments, I/NGOs, and grassroots organizations can leverage their unique strengths, expertise, and resources to implement sustainable practices, raise awareness, and influence policy decisions effectively, ultimately contributing to a more just, equitable, and sustainable future for all.
Author’s Brief:
Farah Kabir,
Country Director, ActionAid Bangladesh