WHY GENDER EQUALITY IS IMPORTANT IN ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE

Greetings from the World March of Women ,  an international feminist action movement connecting grass-roots groups and organizations working to eliminate the causes at the root of poverty and violence against women. We are present in five regions of the world, in over a 160 countries with more than 5,000 women’s organizations as members. We are presently trying to strengthen and expand our networks in Southeast Asia. . 

We struggle against all forms of inequality and discrimination directed at women. Our values and actions are directed at making political, economic and social change. They centre on the globalization of solidarity; equality between women and men, among women themselves and between peoples; the respect and recognition of diversity among women; the multiplicity of our strategies; the appreciation of women’s leadership; and the strength of alliances among women and with other progressive social movements.

Our aims include the promotion of equality and justice between women and men, among women themselves and between all peoples; convincing  the general public, other social sectors and social movements to support and institute the changes necessary for improving the status and living conditions of women and women’s quality of life the world over. We also aim at  developing and implementing  feminist actions and proposals that denounce the economic and financial institutions that promote the exploitation and degradation of our resources, climate change and the loss of our biodiversity  as well as struggling for the self-management of our environmental resources based on a development model that respects the basic needs of present and future generations.

Hence, our interest in this Solidarity Village for a Cool Planet.  For like other big issues confronting humankind, for us, climate change is NOT gender neutral. 

Let’s first consider the  impacts of climate change to the general population as stated by the US Environmental Protection Agency:

1. Health Impacts:  weather related mortality, increase in infectious diseases, poorer air quality and the resultant respiratory illnesses plus those caused or aggravated by polluting vehicles specially in urban areas. 

2. Agricultural Impacts:  decrease in crop yields, increase in irrigation demands…

3. Forest Impacts:  change in forest composition, shift in geographic range of forests, forest health and productivity…

4. Water Resource Impacts:  changes in water supply, poorer water quality, increased competition for water….  

5. Impacts on Coastal areas:  erosion of beaches, inundate coastal lands, reduced mangrove covers and coral reefs, decline in fishery production, costs to defend coastal communities.

6. Species and Natural Areas:  shift in ecological zones, loss of habitat and species, loss of biodiversity.

Unfortunately, destruction caused by global warming goes beyond the physical.  Changing, unpredictable weather means that local knowledge , which has been the basis for good agricultural management and adjusting to climate condition, is becoming less relevant, making farmers more vulnerable and dependent on external inputs and technologies. This in turn has developed into unsustainable production and consumption patterns not only among farmers but the whole population as well.

And as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) notes , these impacts do not fall evenly on our planet for “the impacts of climate change will fall disproportionately upon developing countries and the poor within all countries, thereby exacerbating inequities in health status and access to adequate food, clean water and other resources.”  The Philippine economy for example, remains acutely dependent on natural resources.  The rural sector employs some 11.2 M people. In 2003, 44%  of Filipinos still earn less than $2/day and about 2/3 of them are engaged  in activities that rely heavily on environmental and natural resources. Approximately 20 M people reside in and around forests and 60 M live  within 100km of  the coastline.

As various international documents expounding on gender-based violence have elaborated , the generally  low regard for women's role both in the  productive and reproductive spheres make  women  generally more vulnerable. With the onslaught of globalization, the phrase  "feminization of poverty" has become more and more real.  Thus, the havocs that climate change have brought and will continue to bring will further make life more miserable for women who are poor. 

Poor rural and indigenous  women are  more dependent for their livelihood on natural resources that are threatened by climate change.  Some of the factors that influence the higher vulnerability of women to disasters include lack of means and assets to ensure their own safety in situations of flooding, landslides and storms. In some regions, such as sub Saharan Africa and Asia, the majority of women are responsible for subsistence food production.  With changes in climate, traditional food sources become more unpredictable and scarce.  This exposes women  to loss of harvests, often their sole sources of food and income.  With cash crops becoming scarce, food prices increase thus worsening  the situation  for  women who are left with the difficult balancing act of making both ends meet.    Women from rural zones in many communities are responsible for collecting water and wood, cultivating vegetables and raising small animals. When the dams, streams or wells go dry they have to walk many hours. In the cities after the floods, is the women who usually have to leave their jobs to organize the precarious survival in the improvised shelters . 

Besides their responsibility of caring and survival of all, specially aged people, children and the sick, their mobility is reduced in comparison with men since only few  are taught to swim and defend ourselves in dangerous situations. Warning signals for natural calamities often do not reach women right away.   Data from the Women’s Environment and Development Organization  show that women comprise 70-80% of overall deaths in the 2004 Asian Tsunami . Women suffered most following the 1991 cyclone and flood in Bangladesh; and among women aged 20-44, the death rate was 71 per 1000 compared to 15 per 1000 men. 

Need to Integrate Gender Equality

Many solutions to this huge problem have been presented and are still being presented and studied.     I am sure those gathered here today know these better than I do.  I would just like to stress the point that there is a need to  integrate gender equality in all levels and aspects of the debates :  from financing to   research, to  planning and most specially decision making,  for women ARE  stakeholders. Even the issue of reproductive health and rights still  denied to majority of women worldwide ,  is another matter to seriously consider  for a ballooning population will only serve to aggravate the damages climate change can do to the finite  state of our natural resources. This latter point however, does not mean to narrow down or limit in any way, the issue of women’s reproductive health and rights to one that is tied to population issues.  For the claiming and exercise of such rights are integral to women’s human rights. 

Women have been adapting to environmental  change for generations, long before scientists gave it a name.  Women are agents of change, inherent problem solvers, long time leaders on poverty eradication and sustainability. They play a crucial role both at the household and at the community level.   Given the chance, they can help influence national policies as well just like in the case of Nyeleni, the women from African who played a key role in food security. 

The gender aspects of climate change are a matter of justice, human rights and human security.  Progress on achieving the MDG has been slowed or reversed due to climate change; including gender equality goals.  Poverty reduction strategy papers at the country level do not address the linkages between gender equality and climate change.  It is not an oversight that gender isn’t being addressed, but instead,  part of a systematic problem of societies and governments marginalizing women. 

Actions

We are currently preparing a new Global Action for 2010, as well as organizing popular education activities,  street actions, reinforcing our struggle against poverty and violence against women within four political focus issues:  violence against women as a tool to control their lives and bodies;  peace and demilitarization; women’s work; common goods and access to natural resources.  

We will certainly embark on action researches and educational campaigns regarding climate change as we strive to learn from those who have been working on this issue longer than us.  At the same time , we would like to extend our hand to all those willing to listen to our experiences as well.

In the Philippines for example, members of the March are contributing in their own little ways  to address the issue of climate change by slowly changing production and consumption patterns on the ground level:   promotion of slow food in contrast to fast foods, practicing solid waste management, encouraging  urban vegetable gardening and  engaging their families in sustainable agriculture .  These go hand in hand with efforts at influencing and /or criticizing policy discussions at the national and international levels on related issues such as genuine agrarian reform, indigenous peoples’ rights,  foreign debt, unfair trade practices  , workers’ rights , violence against women , gender responsive governance and peace issues while constantly linking these to neo-liberalism and patriarchy. 

Together, let us enlarge the Solidarity Village for a Cool Planet!

World March of Women-Philippines

December 2007, Bali, Indonesia

World March of Women : Brochure , Declaration of Values, Global Charter for Humanity

Report of  High –level Roundtable  “How a Changing Climate Impacts Women”  by the   

                             Council of Women World Leaders, WEDO and Henrich Boll

                              Foundation, Sept. 2007

Small scale  sustainable farmers  are cooling down the earth by Vi a Campesina

The Road To and From Bali by Antonio La Vina

Climate Change and MDGs By Isagani Serrano, Nov. 2007