OBJECTIVES OF THE NDC HUB’S GENDER EQUALITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION GUIDELINES

Topics of gender equality and social inclusion permeate all aspects of social life in the Pacific. Climate change, and the increasing impacts of extreme weather events, sea level rise, changing crop patterns, and further changes this brings to the region, will have a deep impact on existing social structures, and will influence all genders and social groups differently. The successful achievement of the NDC Hub’s country requests, trainings and events will require specific attention to the different needs, interests, priorities and access to resources of all genders and social groups within the Pacific, who face intersectional and overlapping challenges. Their specific needs and interests must be considered at all stages of the NDC Hub’s work in order to achieve meaningful and sustainable results.

These GESI guidelines are primarily created for the NDC Hub's Implementation Unit, to guide them in incorporating GESI throughout the NDC Hub's activities, and to ensure the NDC Hub's support to the Pacific promotes the best outcomes for all social groups. Beyond this, the guidelines are targeted for consultants and technical experts of the NDC Hub, who implement activities on behalf of the NDC Hub. Finally, the GESI guidelines are intended for NDC Hub Focal Points and Steering Committee members as they guide the implementation of the NDC Hub's work, as well as external stakeholders who engage with the NDC Hub.

Gender Equality and Social Inclusion is a continuously changing topic. Just like the waves of the Pacific Ocean, these guidelines are intended to be fluid, and continuously adapted to new developments. Therefore, feedback to these guidelines is always welcomed, and will be incorporated in the next round of updates.

The guidelines have been developed based on a desk review of existing GESI strategies, toolkits, and methodologies available, both at the international, regional and national level, to make best-possible use of existing knowledge and guidance available on this topic. All resources are sourced in the bibliography. We acknowledge that the documents listed here are not exhaustive, and that further policies and guidelines on this topic are available, which are not captured here.

These guidelines are based on several rounds of consultations with the NDC Hub’s implementation partners, to ensure it can effectively help the Implementation Unit as they work to incorporate GESI throughout their work in the Pacific.