ABANTU @ 10

GENDER & CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate Change also known as global warming refers to any significant change in measures of climate such as temperature, precipitation or wind lasting for a longer period usually decades or more. Climate Change is caused by the increasing greenhouse gases from activities such as burning of fossil fuel(coal,oil and natural gas), land clearing and intensive agriculture. Carbon dioxide (CO2) methane( CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are among the green house gases making the largest contribution to global warming.
Climate Change has become a global threat with grave consequences for under-developed and developing countries. The Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predicted that the impact of climate change will be differently distributed among different regions, generations, age, class, income groups, occupations and genders. The poorest of communities have been identified as those who will be worse affected by climate change.

Already, the impacts and risks associated with climate change are happening  in many systems and sectors essential for human livelihoods including water resources, food security, coastal zones and health. In Ghana, the main impacts of climate change on ecological, economic and social systems are: ecosystems and natural habitat; forests; desertification and land degradation; aquatic ecosystem; water resources, tourism; food agriculture, human health and human settlement and infrastructure.
Over a decade ago, attempt at reducing global warming led to an international treaty known as the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which most countries signed onto. Later on in 1997, the Kyoto Protocol which had more powerful (and legally binding) measures was added to the UNFCCC. The first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol is expected to end in 2012.

In 2007, the Bali Action Plan was agreed at the UN Climate Conference in Bali, Indonesia. The Plan launched a “comprehensive process to enable the full, effective and sustained implementation of the Convention through long term cooperation action, now, up to and beyond 2012’. The Bali Action Plan was structured under five building blocks: Shared vision, Adaptation, Mitigation, Finance and Technology.
Recent  efforts by the United Nations to put in place a new multilateral framework to take effect after the 2012 commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol failed to reach agreement.

An ambitious outcome was required at the December 2009 UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen. However, after intense negotiations, activism and lobbying an accord which eventually come out was not unanimously adopted by Parties but was taken note of. This accord could then be the basis of further negotiations before the Mexico climate in 2010. Ghana has since January 2010 indicated her support for the Accord which enjoins the country to implement actions in compliance with the five identified pillars for the benefit of the citizenry.

The increasing relevance of climate change in the lives of citizens and the activities being implemented at all level through the initiatives of the United Nations Framework Convention on climate change (UNFCCC)  led ABANTU to actively participate in advocacy at all levels with other organizations to promote gender responsiveness in policy formulation processes on Climate Change.
In 2008, ABANTU started work on the Gender and Climate Change thematic area with the goal of deepening and sharing knowledge with a range of actors in the field to strengthen policy advocacy. Initially, a core group of activists on gender and climate change came together to develop the Gender and Climate Change Programme and mobilize groups to constitute the Gender Action on Climate Change for Equality and Sustainability (GACCES).
Membership to the Coalition is open to individuals and organizations committed to gender equality, women’s right and climate justice.

Introduction
The issue of climate change has become a global threat with worrying consequences for developing countries. The gendered nature and consequence of climate change is yet to be widely acknowledged as women’s groups continue to strengthen their policy advocacy work or gender equality on climate change issues
To this end ABANTU for Development has identified gender and climate change as an important thematic area of work since 2006.

Aim
The aim of ABANTU’s gender and climatic change thematic work is to strengthen the capacities of women to influence climate change policies from a gender perspective.

Objectives
The specific objective of ABANTU’s gender and climate change thematic area of work are as follows:

• To enhance awareness on the gendered nature of climate change
• To promote women’s active participation in all decision- making processes on climate change at all levels
• To monitor government’s compliance in the implementation of climate change conventions to ensure that the strategies meet the specific needs and concerns of women.
• To produce relevant research, publication and information on the gendered dimension of climate change in Ghana as a basis for policy advocacy, learning and information sharing.

Target groups
The target groups for ABANTU gender an climate change thematic work are the following:

• Women
• NGOs and CBOs
• Policy makers at all level
• Researchers
• Community leaders
• Media

TYPES
The types of initiatives undertaken under the gender and climate change theme are:

• Community sensitization programmes on gender and climate change
• Advocacy with the Global Gender and Climate Alliance (GGCA)
• Engaging with natural policies on Climate change
• Hosting the Gender Action on Climate Change for Equality and Sustainability (GACCES).
• Implementing a UNIFEM Grant for a project titled, “Building Capacities to influence Climate Change Policies from a Gender Perspective”

Challenges
The main challenge encountered in working around the gender and climate change thematic area includes the following:

• The limited association made between gender and climate change by the scientific community
• The lack of sufficient research or the link between gender and climate change

Achievements
In implementing activities under ABANTU’s gender and climate change thematic area, the following have been some of our achievements:

• Establishment of the first gender and climate change coalition in the West African sub-region
• Effective contribution of critical issues in climate change at the global, continental and natural policy making.
• Production of relevant documents in gender and climate change
• Strengthened relationship between women’s coalition on climate change and UNIFEM

 Way forward
The ideas generated from the gender and climate change work until continue to be shared with a broad range of actors to ensure greater commitment and action on the issue being addressed in the sub-region.

 

PROGRAMMES

• Community Sensitisation Programmes on Gender and Climate Change
• Global Advocacy work with Global Gender and Climate Alliance (GCCA)
• Engaging with National Policies on Climate Change
• Hosting the Gender Action on Climate Change for Equality and Sustainability (GACCES)