Relevance of gender in the policy area

Environmental change and climate change are increasingly caused by developments taking place at global level, including those relating to demographics, patterns of production and trade, and rapid technological progress. Such developments may offer significant opportunities for economic growth and societal well-being but nevertheless pose challenges and uncertainties for the economy and society, as well as causing environmental degradation worldwide. Coupled with current wasteful production and consumption systems in the world economy, rising global demand for goods and services and the depletion of resources are increasing the cost of essential raw materials, minerals and energy, generating more pollution and waste, increasing global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and making land degradation, deforestation and biodiversity loss worse. The gender perspective is relevant in all the different areas of environment policy.

Gender relations between women and men, and girls and boys, play a key role in the access to and control of environmental resources, as well as the goods and services they provide. The relevance of gender to environmental issues has been discussed since the early 1970s, when the growing debate on environmental changes intersected with the emergence of studies on women’s roles in development and development policy strategies within the international women’s rights movement. 

Gender is considered particularly relevant in climate protection policies, specifically in the design and implementation of adaptation and mitigation strategies as responses to climate change. When considering climate change from a gender equality perspective, various aspects should be taken into account. One consideration relates to the very low participation of women in decision-making in the sector. Secondly, to be effective climate policies should consider various gender- related aspects of climate change: the impact of climate change on women and men; their different contributions to and perceptions of climate change; and the solutions that women and men are perceived to prefer in terms of mitigation and adaptation.

Gender inequalities in the policy area – Main issues

• Women’s under-representation in environment decision-making institutions
• Gender differences in adaptation and mitigation strategies
• Gender differences in the effects of climate change.

Current policy priorities

Gender-Responsive Climate Policy and Governance: Ensuring that climate policies and decision-making processes are inclusive and consider the needs, roles, and capacities of all genders.

Adaptation and Resilience Building: Developing adaptation measures that take gender differences into account, recognizing that women and men may have different vulnerabilities and capacities to respond to climate impacts. 

Sustainable Livelihoods and Gender Equality in Economic Opportunities: Promoting gender equality in access to economic opportunities, particularly in sectors that are highly impacted by climate change such as agriculture, water management, and energy.

Education and Capacity Building: Enhancing gender-sensitive education and training programs that empower women and men to participate effectively in climate action.

Data Collection and Analysis: Improving the collection and analysis of gender- disaggregated data to better understand how climate change affects women and men differently.

Finance and Investment: Ensuring that climate finance mechanisms are accessible to women and support projects that address gender-specific needs and opportunities.