F3 Magazine Walking in no man’s land Finding Justice within Climate Change Actions
© UN Photo/Mark Garten
tive change15. A gender analysis is not a special focus on women, but rather an understanding on how discrimination against women and gender roles interact to shape men’s and women’s enjoyment of human dignity, rights, as well as quality of life. In the context of climate change, a gender analysis can be the first step in promoting an understanding of the ways that men and women are differently impacted by climate-related hazards through adaptation and mitigation strategies. This focus can look at root causes, rights, reparations and participatory democracy, and shape the direction of any climate change related intervention (e.g how to provide access to affordable and sustainable energy for households). Gender analysis helps us to 15. Aquilar, L. & Roger, F., 2012. Gender Review, Climate Investment Funds https://www. climateinvestmentfunds.org/ cif/ sites/climateinvestmentfunds.org/ files/Engendering%20Climate%20 Finance.pdf
identify historical injustices that shape the world that we live in today. It takes time but can lead to better development outcomes before any interventions are undertaken. It can help develop concrete recommendations and identify practical tools and methods to help countries integrate gender into their climate strategies and work on a daily basis.
Rights-based approaches focus on all people achieving minimum conditions for living with dignity, through the realisation of their human rights
Ultimately, the climate justice movement must continue to play a key role in advocating for human rights and equity within the United Nations Climate Change negotiation process but needs to find more robust ways to ensure that concrete and practical actions can be taken at the ground level. This must also be clearly understood by governments and organisations working with the most vulnerable who face the ignominy of their livelihoods being eroded due to a climate problem not of their making.
The author Brian Harding is an independent Environment and Climate Change Specialist. He works on developing strategies, plans and programmes for climate vulnerable countries in Africa and Asia.