The issue of gender across the three pillars of sustainable development

By kathleen Leewai, intern, SPREP

Panel at Gender Justice event at Rio+20

18 June 2012, Rio de Janeiro - The issue of gender has been under intense discussion at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.

Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN) stated that, in their view, the current text of the Rio+20 outcomes document shows many imbalances across the three pillars of sustainable development, i.e. the social, economic, and environmental pillars of sustainable development.

They believe that the only way to achieve sustainable development is to include gender perspectives in the discussions of issues under all three pillars.

Maureen Penjueli, Coordinator of the Pacific Network on Globalisation in Fiji, said that there are a few issues for women in the Pacific that should be brought forward at Rio+20, but that they would be different under each of the pillars.

“Under the environmental pillar they need to be looking at the impacts of climate change on women, especially coastal women, such as access to water and funding for adaptation efforts.

In the economic sense, on the other hand, the issue is about access to information about the economic model being sought in Rio and how this will impact them.”

Speaking at a side event on juggling gender justice across the three pillars, Ms. Melinda Ching from the Office of the United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights said, “It is important to address that we are all here to fight for human rights for women, but also for human rights for all, as human rights, including human rights for women, are the key to sustainable development.”

“I think that the gender text is one of the most controversial and contentious text that still remains in Rio”, said Ms. Penjueli as negotiations on the text regarding women and health continued.

“I think a lot of the emphasis and strategies here are really on how to defend the rights that have been gained at the World Conference on Women in Beijing and the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, so that women don’t go away from this conference with lesser rights than when they came.”

All parties, including submissions from Major Groups have until tonight (18 June, 2012) to finalise text in order to have a text ready before Wednesday, chances are negotiations will continue tomorrow.

Gender talk at the Climate conference in Durban

Ulamila Wragg front left

Durban, South Africa, 28 November - The Pacific Gender Climate Coalition is bringing to the Climate Conference in Durban a message that gender responsiveness in any climate change work should be fundamental.

“Gender is not only about women but both men and women as we all have to respond to the impacts of climate change and for any project or activity addressing adaptation or mitigation must be gender responsive,” says Ms. Ulamila Wragg, the Pacific Coalition Coordinator.

“Apart from negotiations I am also hoping to forge partnerships that to further gender work in climate change adaptation and mitigation.”

She added that the Cook Islands now have a gender policy with Climate Change as one of its outputs and their Gender and Development Division has done a mapping on how these outputs should be furthered.

Wragg hopes to seek support to develop gender indicators to monitor the impacts of climate change and disaster preparedness on women and men, as well as build the capacity of institutions involved in Disaster Risk Management and Climate change to mainstream gender.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change COP 17 Meeting began today on 28th November and ends on 9th December bringing together over 20,000 delegates from around the world.

Mexican President wants more formal role for civil society organisation in climate negotiations

By Makereta Komai, Climate Pasifika Media in Cancun, Mexico

06 DECEMBER 2010 CANCUN ---- Mexican President, Felipe Calderon wants more civil society input into the Conference of Parties process, breaking with tradition to convene a special stakeholder’s engagement Monday.

Addressing both Parties and hundreds of non-governmental organisations accredited for COP16 in Cancun, President Calderon urged South Africa, the hosts of COP17 next year to include the ‘voices of the people’ in the negotiation process.

“There should be a more formal character for civil societies, said President Calderon, who chaired the two hour session.

“We need society participation. Clearly, there is a need for a more open and inclusive role for civil society at future Conference of Parties.

President Calderon said the climate change negotiations should not only focus on governments but include the views of the people, who represent nearly 7 billion of the world’s population.

“The negotiations must hear all voices, the indigenous peoples, the women and children, the business community etc.

“Combating climate change is everyone’s business and every step must be taken now to mobilise our societies to understand what needs to be done to fight climate change, said President Calderon.

After presentations from selected civil society groups, he opened up the floor for discussions.

A representative of the youth constituency praised Mexico for allowing the voices of young people to be heard.

“We beg negotiators to do their best and reach an agreement that will save the world for the future generation. You need to move mountains, ending with “Yes we can, Yes can and Yes we can!

The Mexican leader also urged more participation of women in the negotiations.

“Women are mostly the victims of climate change and yet they continue to maintain our household. They are the backbone of society, thus they need to have a voice also. I believe if more women are involved then we have a more human solution to the problem of climate change, said President Calderon.

Exhibition booth for Gender CC - Women for Climate Justice

His comments were supported by the former President of Ireland and honorary President of Oxfam, Mary Robinson.

“Not only are women disproportionately impacted by climate change, but they lack access to markets and essential tools including land and credit that would enable them to better adapt.

“Women are on the frontlines of climate change because they are often the main food producers and so susceptible to the increasingly extreme and unpredictable weather," said Robinson.

"But women are also leading the way in creating innovative solutions that can help us overcome these challenges. Negotiators must recognize the essential role of women this week to ensure decisions made in Cancun can succeed once implemented, said Robinson.

Scene@COP16: Gender CC - Women for Climate Justice

Gender CC Booth at Cancun COP 16

30 November, Cancun, Mexico -“Gender CC - Women for climate justice” is at the Cancun Climate Change talks, working towards integrating gender issues into the climate change policy. This alliance is also a network of organistations that are involved in gender issues. Within the UNFCCC, the Women and Gender Constituency has approved observer status which allows for them to make statements during the main gatherings.

Koin Etuati, Energy Programme Assistant, Energy Programmme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community:

“We have worked on gender and energy in the Pacific region, we have moved the issue forward incorporating gender in the energy policies and also into the energy project so one of the side events we will highlight at this COP, is what we are planning in the Pacific region to help with further carrying out this work."



L - R Koin Etuati and colleague at the booth



Gender@COP15: more awareness needed, says former FSM Attorney-General

Lisa Williams-Lahari, Climate Pasifika Media
Friday 19 December 2009, COPENHAGEN--They were loud and proud at the NGO Clima Forum held outside the official COP15 venue where Fiji's Ashwini Prahba, now of WWF International was a powerful part of the lobbying. They were visible and strong at the side events and planning sessions of the Gender caucuses within the wings of COP15, where Pacific WAVE Coordinator Ulamila Wragg presented on a panel alongside Mary Robinson. But overall, COP15 was a copout for gender activists who wanted to see specific and stronger language  to highlight the vulnerability of women and children, and the social injustices deepened by the impact of climate change. Meanwhile, for FSM-based lawyer and activist Marstella Jack, the largest challenge when it comes to gender and climate change remains awareness at ground zero to drive the messages home. The former Attorney-General of FSM spent two decades with women and gender issues in the public service before making the switch to private practice, NGOism where she currently sits on the Climate Action Network's board of directors. She says we need to step up on gender issues and how they affect human and food security in changing climate conditions:

TRANSCRIPT: Marstella Jack, Lawyer, Climate change activist, FSM

Marstella Jack: In the Pacific we have the problem of women being marginalised, not women -- but our issues, our women's issues. We have that problem so to add on climate change just exacerbates the development issues that affect women. So I think we also need to sensitise our leaders about this dynamic of climate change and gender. We have a lot of work ahead of us and I hope we can get all right people in the pacific and in our island countries to do this and partner up with the government, with our leaders to work on this.


(On the questions of awareness by our Pacific women and climate change as a cross cutting issues):


Their understanding on climate change?The issue itself is that ''oh, something is changing in the atmostphere, it's getting hot, hotter these days"... but thats the limit of what they know about climate change. They dont understand the cross cutting issues with respect to how its affecting our health, with respect to how it's affecting how we collect food, how we plant or how we basically provide for our families...subsistence living. They have very little if any understanding of climate change and how it affects our daily lives in the Pacific. I think they also understand that the sea level is rising but that's about it. I think we need a lot of empowerment work to get to our women, to get to the grass roots.--ENDS