GENDER IN THE UNFCCC

GenderCC - women for climate justice

For several years genanet/LIFE e.V. is participating in international climate change negotiations to lobby for the integration of gender aspects in the debates. genanet is one of the founders of GenderCC - women for climate justice. GenderCC is a global network which startet at COP9 in Milan (2003) and was broadend during following UNFCCC Conferences. The network aims to encourage gender mainstreaming in UNFCCC negotiations and national climate change debates, to strengthen effective participation of women’s organisations and gender experts in climate change debates, to raise awareness and provide information related to gender and climate change, and to develop advocacy positions and opinions towards climate change policy.

To join the network's listserve please send a mail to gender_cc-subscribe(at)yahoogroups.com

Interventions @ ADP2 by representatives of the Women and Gender Consituency

The Women and Gender Consituency was represented by a very small group in the 2nd meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform, taking place in Bonn April 29 to May 3, 2013. Their interventions in a special event for observers hosted by the co-chair of the ADP, can be downloaded here:

Ulrike Roehr, LIFE, on Workstream 1

Sabine Bock, WECF, on Workstream 2

GGCA Twitter chat on the gender decision

GGCA hosts aTwitter chat with UNFCCC Secretary Christiana Figueres on May 14 at 10am EDT (15:00 Berlin time) to discuss the COP18 Gender Decision: Key Objectives and Entry Points.

It is a great opportunity for people to ask questions, learn about key objectives and entry points, and help inform the framework for implementing the COP18 Gender Decision.

Topic: The COP18 Gender Decision: Key Objectives and Entry Points. Why is a gender-sensitive approach part of the climate solution? What are the opportunities to contribute?

When: Tuesday, May 14th at 10:00am EDT, 15:00 GMT

How: Join the Twitter chat and use #shesparks in your tweets. Be sure to follow @GGCA_Gender and @CFigueres!

For further information, see gender-climate.org/Events/GGCA-Twitter-Chat-COP18-Gender-Decision.php

COP17 in Durban and COP18 in Doha

For information about gender activities we were involved in please visit the website of our partner organisation GenderCC - Women for Climate Justice

COP19 in Doha

COP18 in Durban

gender activities at COP16 in Cancún

BRIDGE and LIFE e.V./genanet hosted a UNFCCC side event called ‘Innovating and inspiring new thinking on the social dimensions of climate change’ at COP 16. The gender dimension of global warming were also discussed. It took place on 3rd decembre. 

LIFE e.V./genanet have a information desk in Cancún Messe (see a picture), participate in the daily Women's Caucus and lobby for a strong gender language in the outcomes.

You can find more informations about gender activities and first interventions of the Women and Gender Constituency on genderCC's website.

Gender in the Copenhagen outcomes: The half of nothing is nothing

After weeks of negotiations, the outcome of COP15 is extremely disappointing. There are no firm and worthwhile commitments, only the acknowledgement of a declaration, which states that global temperature rise should not exceed 2°. Yet the atmosphere does not act under orders. It's us humans who ought to act, but the declaration remains silent on commitments.

During the last days of the negotiations gender language was also watered down in the various draft texts. In particular, it is absent in mitigation and financing. However, if the gender language would have been stronger, it wouldn't have been a reason to celebrate, though, because it can only be as good as the overall outcomes of the meeting.

Additionally, it was alarming that for the first time in the history of the UNFCCC, civil society has been effectively excluded from its participation in the second week of the negotiations. "During the last two days of the conference, we have heard many elaborate speeches, but it is action that is urgently needed. Not a political declaration, but commitments. Not "continued high growth" but fundamental changes of how we live and consume in industrialized countries and how we share the earth's resources nationally and globally. Not lukewarm reduction goals but deep emission cuts. Not the same grant and loan conditionalities but significant public funding that can really bail us out from this climate crisis. We believe that the climate crisis is a mere symptom of a larger and long standing human crisis. There are no instant solutions. We need to engage by immediately starting a collective learning process that is geared towards genuine and lasting solutions." (Ulrike Röhr, Intervention in the plenary of the High Level Segment, on behalf of Women and Gender, see below).

The hope we had before Copenhagen is lost in despair. Copenhagen did not send a signal for a climate and gender just future.

More information

Women on the Road to Copenhagen

A series of AWG sessions paves the road to Copenhagen advancing the negotitations in order to facilitate results at COP15. Women and gender experts are extremely busy, lobbying for the integration of gender into the Copenhagen outcomes. And so an increasing number of countries mention gender in their contributions or submissions, such are Bangladesh, Lesotho (on behalf of the LDCs), Guatemala (on behalf of Central America), Colombia (Adaptation), Tuvalu, Finland, Iceland (with Norway and Denmark), Georgia (community-based CDM projects), Algeria (on behalf of the African Group). On behalf of women and gender NGOs GenderCC held a joint statement with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) speaking on behalf of the TUNGOS at the Final Plenary Session at AWG-LCA 5 / AGW-KP 7 session. GenderCC also submitted input to theAWG-LCA in April 2009 . Representatives of the women's caucus met with the NGO liaison for the Danish government, ambassador Thomsen, on March 30 and highlighted the necessity of supporting the process of granting Women and Gender NGOs a constituency and making sure that visa formalities for non-EU residents are processed smoothly and without complications.
For more information see GenderCC.net.