Women, who form the majority of the world’s more than one billion poorest people, are often disproportionally affected by climate change impacts, largely due to persisting gender norms and discriminations. Women and men also contribute to climate change responses in different ways and have different capabilities to mitigate and adapt. Recent UNFCCC decisions in Cancun and Durban acknowledge that gender equality and the effective participation of women are important for all aspects of climate change, but especially for adaptation. Gender-responsive climate financing instruments and funding allocations are urgently needed. This is a matter of using scarce public funding in an equitable, efficient and effective way. It also acknowledges that climate finance decision are not made within a normative vacuum, but most be guided by acknowledging women’s rights as unalienable human rights.
Liane Schalatek is associate director of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung USA.
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