Although climate change and poverty are increasingly recognised as interlinked global problems, responses from governments and development agencies often focus on their scientific and economic dimensions only. This guide highlights the advantages and challenges of pursuing climate compatible development from a gender perspective.
International frameworks are gradually reflecting gender issues better, but all too often wording about gender is simply added to existing policies, while women’s views, needs and participation are – in reality – excluded from climate change responses and development initiatives. Moreover, women are frequently perceived as victims, with little consideration for the contribution and leadership they could provide in mitigating and adapting to climate change.
This guide summarises the findings and recommendations of a study on the benefits and challenges of pursuing climate compatible development from a gender perspective. The research looked at four main questions, using case studies from Peru, India and Kenya. All three case studies have climate-related disaster risk management and climate change adaptation goals. As most research into gender and climate change so far has been carried out in rural contexts, this study has put special emphasis on urban settings.
The objective is to contribute new evidence to this arena and provide insights that will help policy-makers and practitioners to foster more inclusive climate and development interventions. Here are 10 findings to prove that gender-sensitive approaches lead to better climate and development outcomes – and how they do it.
