This theme “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow” goes to the core of our shared development challenges: gender equality and climate change. It is an opportunity to make bold commitments for women and girls and to build on COP26.
Advancing gender equality in the context of the climate crisis and disaster risk reduction is one of the greatest global challenges of the 21st century. The issues of climate change and sustainability have had and will continue to have, severe and lasting impacts on our environment, economic and social development. Those who are amongst the most vulnerable and marginalized experience the deepest impacts.
Women are increasingly being recognized as more vulnerable to climate change impacts than men, as they constitute the majority of the world’s poor and are more dependent on the natural resources which climate change threatens the most.
At the same time, women and girls are effective and powerful leaders and change-makers for climate adaptation and mitigation. They are involved in sustainability initiatives around the world, and their participation and leadership results in more effective climate action.
Continuing to examine the opportunities, as well as the constraints, to empower women and girls to have a voice and be equal players in decision-making related to climate change and sustainability is essential for sustainable development and greater gender equality.
Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN Women, Sima Bahous, at the first regular session of the UN Women Executive Board held recently had said, “We have just over eight years to go until 2030, and we know that where we have the most work to do is on gender equality. In fact, globally only one of the 18 indicators on SDG 5 is ‘close to target’. That indicator is of women in local governance, where we do see, and must celebrate, progress in most countries.
Unless we realize our collective gender equality goals, we will not address hunger and climate change. We will not negotiate durable peace, nor see an increase in social and economic policies that work for all people. Women must be part of – and lead – these critical discussions. We all know that women bear the brunt of crises and conflict.
The COVID-19 pandemic has acted as a ‘revealer’, exploiting, and worsening existing inequalities, including gender inequalities. Women have been on the frontlines as health care workers, as caretakers of their families, and as home schoolteachers. Women who were already disadvantaged in the labour force have lost their jobs at a faster rate than men, and are regaining them at a slower rate.
Women, who were already doing the vast majority of unpaid care work, have taken on even more unpaid work during the pandemic. Violence against women and girls, already the most pervasive of human rights abuses, has spiralled upwards during the crisis in every corner of the world.
Yet, the COVID-19 policy response has too often not been inclusive of women´s voices. Women hold only 24 per cent of seats on COVID-19 taskforces, so three quarters of the policy response is driven by men and men’s priorities. The path to equality, therefore, remains steep.
Just as we insist on putting women at the centre of decision-making to achieve gender-sensitive results, I insist on our work being driven by local solutions, where we listen to, and learn from, the lived experiences of women and girls in the countries.”
“Multilateralism is needed today more than ever; it is only together that we will find solutions that work for the issues that impact us all. Jus t as we insist on putting women at the centre of decision-making to achieve gender-sensitive results, I insist on our work being driven by local solutions, where we listen to, and learn from, the lived experiences of women and girls in the c ountries.” Sima Bahous, Under-Secretary-General, UN and Executive Director, UN Women.
