In low-income countries women’s vulnerabilities exponentially increase in the face of climate change worsening their disproportionate burden of care and perpetuating exclusion. Extreme weather events, like the El Nino-induced drought, increase livelihood pressures on already marginalized women in the Global South.
As climate change becomes an existential threat with potential to damage human well-being tackling security risks associated with gender is increasingly important. In such circumstances, women often experience the impacts of climate change differently than men, while playing a critical role in responding and providing care for the family.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) recognizes that climate change affects every aspect of life. It increases health risks, hinders sexual and reproductive health and rights, increases food and water insecurity, and worsens existing inequities—in every country where we work.
However, these negative impacts are not gender-neutral: women and girls are often disproportionately affected. The extreme weather events, like Cyclone Idai phenomenon stand as stark reminders of the devastating consequences of climate change to women in less developed economies.
Where there are climate emergencies, food insecurity worsens, and it is women and lactating mothers who bear the brunt- bearing the binary impacts of climate-induced risks and disasters.
When Cyclone Idai hit the Eastern parts of Zimbabwe in March 2019 it disrupted traditional lifestyle and cultural practices, leading to land degradation and internal displacement. At the center of this devastation were women who were increasingly at risk of gender violence and sexual exploitation.
UNFCCC states that ‘climate change could undo decades of progress in global health. The health impacts of a changing climate may overwhelm already strained health systems, making access to sexual and reproductive health more challenging for women and communities.’
At the Conference of Parties (COP25) in Paris, the UNFCCC’s adoption Gender Action Plan (GAP)inspiring signatories like Zimbabwe to set up domestic versions of GAP.
Locally, the need to support the systematic mainstreaming of gender in climate change, has not been lost, with the nation promulgating a National Gender Policy in 2013. The policy has been subsequently reviewed in 2017 and 2023.
A gender expert Memory Chikonyani, with the Gender Commission of Zimbabwe (GCZ), says government has always been woke to the need to guide the implementation of gender-sensitive and responsive programs in all sectors of society to address structural challenges,
The recently launched GAP seeks to support Zimbabwe’s vision for 2030 toward a transformed, inclusive, resilient, and more sustainable economy that leaves no one behind through addressing climate change vulnerabilities and advancing knowledge and understanding of gender-responsive climate action.
Minister Women Affairs Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Sthembiso Nyoni stated at the launch of the GAP, that integrating gender considerations into climate change policy and programming ensures women’s needs, perspectives are considered in decision-making processes.
“Mainstreaming gender in Climate Change plays a huge role in the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) because of its inclusive nature and is one of the key enablers to steer Zimbabwe towards Vision 2030 trajectory of being a prosperous and empowered upper middle-income society for its citizens by 2030.”
GAP is a crucial tool for building the resilience of Zimbabwean communities to climate change as it will help to identify and address the specific vulnerabilities of women and girls in the face of climate change and support them in adapting to its impacts.
Similarly, gender expert Chikonyani states that by recognizing and addressing the increased risk of gender-based violence in the context of climate-related disasters and displacement and integrating measures to prevent and respond to gender-based violence in climate policies.
She told the WEEKLY that by incorporating these strategies, climate policies can become more gender-responsive, leading to more equitable and effective responses to the challenges posed by climate change.
“Addressing these challenges requires a multi-faceted approach that involves mainstreaming gender across climate policies and programs, strengthening institutional capacities, promoting women’s leadership and participation, and fostering partnerships with diverse stakeholders to advance gender equality and climate resilience in Zimbabwe.
“We centre women in climate resilience programming because investment in women generates durable improvements to key outcomes, helps ensure services and programming remain in place, and ultimately leads to communities that are more equitable, healthy, and sustainable.”
The just-launched GAP recognizes the gap that exists between men and women and fosters gender-sensitive climate change mitigation and adaptation actions and will work towards strengthening the integration of gender considerations in the implementation of the revised Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs) and the national climate change policies, strategies, plans, programs, and projects.