Gender and Climate change Guidelines for Gender Mainstreaming in Climate change Management A guide for Practitioners
Table of Contents Gender concepts... 2 Section 1: What is gender?... 6 Step 1: Gender Analysis... 8 Step 2: Gender mainstreaming in the Project Cycle... 11 Project Identification... 11 Project Planning... 12 Implementation... 13 Monitoring and evaluation... 14 Step 3: Institutionalizing gender within climate change organizations... 15 Conclusion... 16 1
Gender concepts Gender refers to the specific roles and responsibilities adopted by women and men in any society. It is related to how we are perceived and expected to think. Roles are socially determined. They are learned and can change over time. Gender analysis: Study of the traditionally determined differences between men and women in terms of the conditions, needs, participation indices, access to resources, development and policy, etc. as a result of the roles ascribed to them. The gender approach provides the theoretical and methodological instrument to analyze gender relations, to understand their dynamics in specific contexts, such as climate change, and to build proposals to promote equity. Gender Balance: Have the same number of men and women. This equal presence in numbers does not always solve the gender related problems. As such it is always advisable for an intervener to address the Equity issues before fighting for the equal representation. Gender equality: A policy concept which supposes that women and men will benefit in equal measure from goods, opportunities, resources and rewards recognised by the society. Being equal does not mean being identical. Equality can be attained by changing institutional practices and social relations that reinforce and maintain disparities between men and women. Gender Equity: It is about fairness, and impartial treatment of people from all walks of life without consideration to criteria such as sex, race, religion etc. It is also about giving extra attention to a certain category of people that has faced obstacles and constraints. When one addresses the obstacles, you are able to raise the affected group of people to a higher level and thus the playing ground is leveled. The actions you take to address the disparities are called Affirmative Actions. Gender-disaggregated data: Collection of data and analysis of results by gender (e.g.: data on the social status and socio-economic roles of different groups of women and men). Gender discrimination: Behaviour that refuses to treat individual men and women equally as they would like to be treated or as they are entitled to be treated. Gender-differentiated work: social system where the two sexes each play a series of gender-based roles. This division is not based on ability but on gender. Gendered division of work is the central determinant of social relationships between the sexes and seeks to legitimise hierarchical relations between men and women. Gender insensitivity: inability to recognise differences in the roles and responsibilities of men and women resulting in inability to recognise that policies, programmes and projects can impact differently on men and women. 2
Gender mainstreaming: It is the process of identifying, incorporating and integrating the needs and interests of women and men in every programme, policy, strategy, administrative or financial activities. Gender-specific indicators: Gender-based indicators make it possible to measure inequalities between women and men, for example as regards poverty, violence, education, HIV/AIDS and political representation. Gender planning is an approach that recognizes the different roles that women and men play in society and the fact that they often have different needs. Gender relations is a term that emphasizes the relationship between men and women as demonstrated by their respective roles in power sharing, decision making, the division of labor, returns to labor, both within the household and in the society at large. Gender training: Theoretical and practical training designed to increase the possibility that gender analysis will be conducted to build awareness on gender issues and recognise their relevance and the need to integrate them in the programming process. Empowerment is about people, both women and men, taking control over their lives: setting their own agendas, gaining skills, building self-confidence, solving problems and developing self-reliance. No one can empower another: only the individual can empower herself or himself to make choices or to speak out. Women empowerment concerns women gaining power and control over their own lives. It involves awareness-raising, building self-confidence, expansion of choices, increased access to and control over resources and actions to transform the structures and institutions which reinforce and perpetuate gender discrimination and inequality. Sex: defines the biological variables that differentiates male from female; in humans, men and women. 3
Acronyms AAP ECOSOC ESIA GFP s UNDP REDD NCCRS MEMR - Africa Adaptation Programme - United Nations Economic and Social Council - Economic and Social Impact Assessment - Gender Focal points - United Nations Development programme - Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation - National Climate Change Response Strategy - Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources 4
1. Introduction In response to the challenges and opportunities posed by climate change, Kenya has developed a National Climate Response Strategy (NCCRS, 2010). The vision of the strategy is for a prosperous and climate resilient Kenya. The mission is to strengthen and focus nationwide actions towards climate change adaptation and GHG emission mitigation. To address the gender in the NCCRS, the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources (MEMR) with support of AAP and UNDP has formulated a Climate change Gender Mainstreaming Strategy to enable a gender responsive approach to climate change. A gender sensitive approach examines how women and men use their different resources, knowledge and experiences to respond to climate change impacts as well as how societal norms, institutions and processes hinder or foster the capacity to deal with climate change impacts and how this can be remedied. Understanding the linkages between gender and climate change makes visible the social relation in a society, women and men s roles and responsibilities, their access to resources and how these shape their capacity to cope with climate change stresses. Who are these Guidelines for? This guideline can be used by climate change practitioners. It provides explanation of what gender mainstreaming is, and practical advice on how to integrate gender in climate change and within institutions dealing with climate change, and three main steps of gender mainstreaming as follows; 1) Gender Analysis It sheds light on the process of gender analysis and the how. 2) Gender mainstreaming in the project cycle a. project identification b. planning c. implementation d. Monitoring and evaluation 3) Institutionalizing gender Finally, the guidelines have provided some tools for gender analysis that are attached to the guideline. 5
Section 1: What is gender? Gender refers to socially constructed roles, behaviour, activities and attributes that a particular society considers appropriate and ascribes to men and women. Gender roles are learned or acquired during socialization as a member of a given community. Gender is a social construct that defines and differentiates the roles, rights, responsibilities and obligations of women and men. Because these attributes are learned behaviors, they can and do change over time (with increasing rapidity as the rate of technological change intensifies), and vary across cultures. Gender refers to both women and men, and the relations between them. The concept of gender is not interchangeable with women. Gender and sex are not the same either. Difference between gender and sex Sex Gender - Biological attributes - Socially constructed - - Universal - Societal expectation for male and female - Roles determined by natural endowment & cannot change - Changeable and varies from time to time Promotion of gender equality should concern and engage men as well as women (United Nations, 2001). a) Why gender In general, mainstreaming gender in development is necessary for ; ensuring sustainable and equitable development; tapping of all potential in human resources in the development agenda; ensuring that all stakeholders participate in accessing and controlling available resources. b) Gender and climate change The roles and responsibilities of women and men in a society determine the resources they have but also may expose them to different types of risks. Gender is an important analytical framework because it highlights the different ways that women and men manage risks and access opportunities and the implications of this differential access for reducing vulnerability to climate change. A gender smart climate change management focuses on how climate change impacts differently on women and men. It examines how women and men use their different 6
resources, knowledge and experiences to respond to climate change impacts as well as how societal norms, institution and processes hinder or foster capacity to deal with climate change impacts and how this can be remedied. c) Where do you mainstream gender Gender mainstreaming is done at all levels; policy making, programming, practices and within institutions. d) What is gender Mainstreaming This is done through a process called gender mainstreaming. Gender mainstreaming is the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies and programmes in all areas and at all levels. It is a strategy for making women's as well as men's concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and societal spheres, so that women and men gain equality by transforming the mainstream (ECOSOC, 1997, emphasis added). Gender mainstreaming does not entail developing separate women s projects within work programmes, or even women s components within existing activities in the work programmes. It requires that attention is given to gender perspectives as an integral part of all activities across all programmes. This involves making gender perspectives what women and men do and the resources and decision-making processes they have access to, more central to all policy development, research, project development, planning, implementation and monitoring of norms and standards. Mainstreaming through affirmative action: Gender mainstreaming includes gender-specific activities and affirmative action, whenever women or men are in a particularly disadvantageous position. Gender-specific interventions can target women exclusively, men and women together, or only men, to enable them to participate in and benefit equally from development efforts. These are necessary temporary measures designed to combat the direct and indirect consequences of past discrimination. Mainstreaming is not about adding a "woman's component" or even a "gender equality component" into an existing activity. It goes beyond increasing women's participation; it means bringing the experience, knowledge, and interests of women and men to bear on the development agenda. 7
Step 1: Gender Analysis The first step in gender mainstreaming is gender analysis. Gender mainstreaming begins by identifying the gender gaps within a given sector through a process called gender analysis. Definition of gender analysis- gender analysis refers to a systematic way of looking at the different impacts of development (in this case climate change) on women and men. It is a tool to help policy makers, program planners and implementers understand how gender interacts with climate change. Gender Analysis in climate change responses means integrating the two fields (gender and climate change) and exploring how they shape processes and outcomes affecting both the climate change and gender equality. Gender equality questions the current distribution and access to resources and benefits as well as socio-cultural norms and values, while climate change responses aim to increase the efficiency of resource use and to protect various economic sectors from its adverse impacts and also addresses distributional issues. An analysis of climate change from the gender approach explains why and how the effects of climate change and gender inequality are closely linked with one another and how both women and men face risks relating to climate and vulnerability. i) Purpose of Gender Analysis Gender analysis provides information and data on the differential impacts of climate change on females and males and on gender relations. It reveals the connections between gender relations and the climate change problems to be solved. It brings out the gender inequalities to the surface and to the attention of people concerned 1, i.e., the decision makers and practitioners. Gender analysis shows how program effectiveness might be improved by: getting an indepth understanding of how gender influences adaptation and mitigation outcomes, assessing the potential positive and negative impact of adaptation and mitigation project/ interventions on women and men, understanding the capacity of institutions to address gender issues in climate change or in general revealing obstacles and constraints faced by women and men in accessing related benefits and opportunities. When conducting a gender analysis it is important to distinguish between sex-disaggregated statistics, which gives the straightforward numbers of males and females in a given population, and gender statistics, which can reveal the relationships between women and men that underlie the numbers. Sex statistics can indicate the need for a policy intervention, but not what that intervention should be. Gender statistics provide factual information about the status of women, for example a change in their status over time 1 UNDP 8
ii) When do you conduct Gender Analysis Gender analysis should precede all activities including policy formulation. This is because; gender analysis collects data that informs all other activities. It should therefore be applied at the earliest possible stage of development of a policy, programme or project. iii) What information does Gender Analysis Portray? Gender analysis portrays information about; Who does what activities in a society. It pay particular attention to variations within subgroups of women and men (e.g. elderly women, adolescent girls, men from your target area) (see attached tools). Who has access to and control over what resources - productive, social and community; and to political, social, and legal structures by women and men (tools are attached). (The resources such as training, adaptation fund, climate information, decision making, etc.). It also reveals constraining/influencing factors. The key constraints/barriers that youth, women and men experience in participating, accessing opportunities in adaptation and mitigation efforts (e.g., funds or technologies for adaptation and mitigation). Impacts of climate change from male and female perspectives and its impacts on gender equality. For example, how does diminishing water affect women and men? For example, women have to walk long distances to collect water from the nearest water source thereby compromising their time for productive work, health and security. Girls may drop out of school to help out with the household water collection or because of poor sanitation due to lack of water. During drought on the other hand, men migrate in search for pasture and water for their livestock. In non-livestock areas, men migrate to urban areas to look for employment to supplement diminishing household incomes. This has an impact not only on men and boys, but also on women who have to double up as breadwinners on their own. causes of vulnerability of both women and men, youths and disadvantaged groups The different experiences, needs and capacities of women and men in adaptation and mitigation Institutional capacities available or needed to respond to gender mainstreaming needs and concerns The relations between women and men in a given society and how these translate in the face of climate change (gender division of labour) This information reveals why some groups are more vulnerable to climate change and how they are likely to be affected or to affect the climate change projects/programs; who is likely to cope with impacts of climate change, to get involved in decision making at various levels. This gives insights to the policy-makers and project managers of the issues that policies and programmes should respond to. 9
iv) How do you conduct the gender analysis? - in a participatory manner (with stakeholders), identifying and consult with groups of females and males and their interests (positive or negative) in the project. This is will be achieved through focused group discussions, individual and household interviews. - use of participatory approaches and methodologies (identifying how best to engage female and male stakeholders). - Organize separate consultative discussions with each interest group; - Disaggregate data and information by sex/gender - Where national assessments on climate change are being undertaken, a gender perspective may be integrated. In this case, gender must reflect in the objectives of the assessment, and tasks are clear and explicit on the gender-related aspects. v) What do you do with the data you have generated through this process of gender analysis? Once the analysis is complete, the problem has been identified, constraints for women and men understood, and gender and sex disaggregated data has been collected. The next step is to ensure that this information is not shelved but is integrated in all interventions - policies and programmes/project activities. The next section describes how this information is integrated into the projects/programmes by providing checklists of issues to be considered in each phase. 10
Step 2: Gender mainstreaming in the Project Cycle Mainstreaming gender perspective in climate change responses can be defined as the process of assessing the implications for women and men (in their different categories, e.g. youths and vulnerable groups) of the impacts of climate change, of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes in any area and at all levels. Project cycle has been one of the key entry points for gender mainstreaming across development projects. Every project has for to five phases although this depends on institutions or agencies. Gender should be integrated in each phase. For the purposes of this guideline, the following 4 phases of the project cycle have been discussed; Gender in; a) project identification, b) preparation/planning, c) implementation, d) monitoring and evaluation. Project Identification Identification stage is the most appropriate stage to ensure that gender aspects are effectively mainstreamed in the climate change as part of the project concept. The results of gender analysis (if already undertaken (above)) will be integrated to inform the problem analysis. If it has not been done, gender analysis will need to be integrated in the project identification. Checklist - Integrate gender component into the assessment preceding the project identification (if not already undertaken), if already undertaken, a rapid gender assessment can be undertaken and results integrated into the next steps or phases of the project. - Further consultations with female and male stakeholders on how the climate change problem identified will be solved - Ensure participation of both women and men and key stakeholders at the national and in the project area to give their views on the problem and possible solution - views of women and men must be clearly documented so as to inform planning and subsequently implementation and monitoring. - data, disaggregated by gender, must be collected before the project is implemented - gender issues must be reflected in the terms of reference for all feasibility studies to be undertaken - The study team (or project team) must include a gender expert 11
Project Planning This phase involves formulating an appropriate intervention plan. It is in this stage that the project is designed and a plan is formulated. Planners should apply the results of the gender results to ensure that it responds to the needs and concerns of women and men. Checklist 2 Define objectives that incorporate the gender dimension, and formulating gender sensitive indicators based on the baseline information collected at the analysis level. - Ensure that the activities identified will include actions to mainstream gender in climate change mitigation and adaptation, - Determine specific activities that address gender inequalities related to climate change, for example women and youth empowerment at all levels economic, social, political, physical. Enhancing their access to water, energy, decision making processes at different levels and addressing stereotypes through awareness creation. - Identify climate change mitigation actions and strategies with a gender component as well as gender-sensitive adaptation measures. - Adaptation and mitigation technologies must be assessed for their gender responsiveness. - Implication of all adaptation and mitigation aspects such as transport, promotion of biofuels must be assessed from a gender perspective to ensure that inequalities between women and men, rich and poor are not perpetuated. - Verify the capacity of institutions to address gender issues that are related to climate change. - Take gender-conscious steps to plan to address/ reduce the negative impacts of natural disasters on women, particularly in relation to their critical roles in rural areas in provision of water, food and energy. - Ensure that gender equality action plans are formulated and are adequately budgeted for and financed. - Adopt a household approach to project implementation to ensure that the household members are adequately involved in making decision relating to them. For example, in resettlement related to water development or in contracted farming, both spouses should be involved (aware and involved in decision making). How? - involve men and women in discussions around the project plans and analyse their roles and responsibilities such that they will be able to benefit from the project as actors, beneficiaries and managers - redress disparities in participation between women and men through affirmative action (e.g., (including implementation of the affirmative action as provided by the constitution of Kenya of two-thirds representation of either gender. Other categories such as the youth and vulnerable groups should be considered). To understand the implications of adaptation measures for all people involved, it is necessary that all members of an adapting community are represented in Climate Change planning and governance processes 2 AFDB. Information note on the checklist for mainstreaming gender and climate change in projects. 12
Implementation It is during implementation phase that the plans developed above are realised in practice. This is where the project is carried out or implemented. The most crucial aspect is to ensure that all the beneficiaries in the project are involved in all aspects of project implementation. The following checklist is helpful for mainstreaming gender in the implementation phase; Checklist - Ensure equal participation of women and men in adaptation and mitigation. (Including implementation of the affirmative action as provided by the constitution of Kenya of two-thirds representation of either gender. Other categories such as the youth and vulnerable groups should be considered). - Equitable sharing of opportunities and benefits in adaptation, mitigation and technology transfer. - project implementation team must be gender-sensitive and must include a person specifically in charge of gender issues. - Training and capacity building to enable different categories of women and men to participate effectively in project implementation. - Empowerment of women, youths and vulnerable groups should be an integral part of the project. It should be done at 4 levels social, economic, political and physical (see the box below). - formulate a communication strategy that takes into consideration the different climate and other relevant information needs of and appropriate channels for women, men and youths. - Ensure that all the thematic and technical working groups are gender balanced and their ToRs reflect clear tasks to integrate gender. - Document and address emerging issues to ensure that gender inequalities are not perpetuated. For example, identify any issues (that were unforeseen) that may discourage any group from effectively participating in adaptation and mitigation or may have negative impacts on women and men. 13
Monitoring and evaluation The final phase of the project cycle (two in one) is that of monitoring and evaluation. A gender responsive monitoring and evaluation ensures that the different climate change concerns of men and women are being addressed and progress is being made towards achieving the set objectives. At the analysis level, the project has already collected and disaggregated data and information on gender; and gender indicators developed at the planning phase. These form the baseline to help monitor progress and impacts/changes of the interventions. Checklist; - Ensure that the monitoring/evaluation mechanism includes gender sensitive results and indicators linked to climate change - M & E system should explicitly measure the project s effect on both women, men, youths and vulnerable groups - check how women, men in different categories have effectively participated in the implementation, benefited from opportunities such as training, employment, accessed financial resources for adaptation, mitigation, and in decision making at all levels. - measure the effects of the project on and analyze the results for both women and men ; - document lessons learnt, experiences and mechanism for learning, adapting and policy. - check targets for female participation in activities and if the project challenged stereotyped perceptions or gendered norms in the community (against the baseline) - Using the data collected at the beginning (during analysis), assess changes in participation of different stakeholders and capacities for gender mainstreaming - Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the project in mainstreaming gender in actions taken to mitigate and adapt to climate change, - Verify that the instruments and tools used in monitoring/evaluation are gendersensitive. Ensure that gender is incorporated in the result indicators and data and information are disaggregated by sex and gender. - Check the budgetary allocations to the gender equality action plans. 14
Step 3: Institutionalizing gender within climate change organizations Gender mainstreaming, aims to transform unequal social and institutional structures in order to make them profoundly responsive to gender. As such, implementation of the climate change gender Mainstreaming Strategy will depend to a large extent on a supportive institutional framework. It is therefore necessary to pay attention to the organizations involved in climate change management themselves. These include the line ministries, the National CC Secretariat, NEMA and other stakeholder agencies. Developing appropriate understanding, commitment and capacity as well as addressing issues of gender inequality within an institution or organization is a long-term process of organizational change 3. Fundamental to institutionalizing gender is creating a gender-responsive organizational culture. This is a culture in which everyone responds positively to the organization's requirement that they actively demonstrate their commitment to advance gender equality in their daily work and in their interaction with others. 4 Checklist for Institutionalizing Gender - establish gender Focal point system at the climate change secretariat with clear terms on the gender mainstreaming. In particular, GFP s role should be to guide and support gender mainstreaming in climate change activities at the secretariat and other relevant sectors; ensure that gender criteria are included in development of projects and policies; and track progress towards the implementation of the climate change gender strategy. - Each sector should generate and implement a gender equality action plan based on the climate change gender mainstreaming strategy (adapted to its sector needs). - Gender Focal points in the line ministries are linked to the climate change focal points in their respective ministries. The gender focal points should advice and support the climate change focal points on gender mainstreaming and as well monitor the execution of the climate change gender equality action plans. - establish a gender and climate change working group (comprising of line ministries, CCS, NEMA, CSOs and donors) to provide expert advice at the programme level activities. The group would play a critical role to build and adapt a body of knowledge on methodologies, tools and instruments to enable gender mainstreaming. - Awareness-raising of gender issues in climate change, continuous training and capacity building of staff, climate change focal points and gender focal points in relevant sub-sectors. Ensure access to tools and guidelines for gender mainstreaming. - The National Climate change secretariat develops monitoring systems that allows for gender disaggregated data of all information from line ministries. 3 Gender and Water Alliance 4 UNESCO 15
- Document good practices and introduce an award system for those that have demonstrated good performance in mainstreaming gender. This will encourage action. Conclusion Gender mainstreaming is crucial for achieving a climate resilient Kenya. The fight against climate change is unlikely to be won unless measures are put in place to ensure that the needs of different people in a given society are well integrated in the climate change decisions and plans. Gender mainstreaming is a technical field that requires technical skills, hence the need for ensuring that all staff involved in the project are trained and understand the gender problem. It also requires responsive institutions. This calls for the need to ensure that institutional arrangements are in place to implement a gender perspective in policy formulation, programming and implementation in all aspects of climate change. On the whole, partnerships play key roles in achieving the gender agenda. Hence, the need for a stakeholder analysis to help establish the different stakeholders and their roles, and possible contribution to the implementation of the climate change gender mainstreaming strategy. This guideline provides a checklist of gender mainstreaming actions that can be used by actors and implementers. While the checklists provide key actions to ensure gender is mainstreamed in climate change responses, the users may wish to expand the checklist to suit their own programmes. 16
Attachments: gender analysis tools There are many gender analysis tools that can be used to collect gendered information. The following are a few examples of such tools; i. GENDER ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK The gender analytical framework asks the questions: who does what work and analyses the same by noting if it is male adult (M/A), female adult (F/A), male child (M/C), female child (F/C), male youth (M/Y), female youth (F/Y). The gender analytical framework also looks at issues of access and control of resources in an organization or community through the access and control profile (ACP). Activity Profile Activity Milking Planting Providing energy Drawing water Grazing animals Community activities Building a house Child care Cooking Gender MA FA MC FC On access and control, the ACP tools looks at who can make decisions on given community or household resources. This is important especially before the introduction of a project that involves decisions on certain resources natural or physical. Example of a certain community may look like the table below. Table 2.2.2: Access and Control Profile Resource Access Control MA FA MC FC MA FA MC FC Land Livestock Poultry Water supply/water rights Water Points Labor Cash Education/training, etc. Other 17
information Benefits Outside income Asset ownership Training Political power/prestige Adaptation and mitigation funds and technologies Other A clear understanding of access and profile to resources is essential for development planning and helps to bring out power relations in a given community or culture. GENDER ANALYSIS MATRIX (GAM) WORKSHEET Women Labour Time Resources Culture Men Household Community Source: March, C, Smyth, I. Mukhopadhyay, M. (1999) A Guide to Gender-Analysis Frameworks, Oxfam, Oxford References http://www.undp.org/water/gender-and-water.shtml ANALYSIS OF INFLUENCING FACTORS ON DIVISION OF LABOUR AND CONTROL OVER RESOURCES AND BENEFITS This section of the Harvard analytical framework helps identify those factors that influence gender relations in a given community, these are socio cultural, political economic, religions and other development related factors which have a positive or negative influence over the position of women and men in a targeted community for water resource development and they are: - Socio cultural factors Religions beliefs and values Political factors Education and Training Economic factors etc Analysis of Factors and Trends 18
Women Status Compared to men Lower Equal Higher Participation and position in decision making at Household Community Institutional level Educational Status Health Status Nutritional Status Mobility Image Self image Image in Society Others 19
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ii. AFRICAN GENDER ANALYTICAL TREE The African gender analytical tool (AGAT) was used to highlight the fact that manifestation of certain gender issues such as number of women in a water committee should not just be seen as problem at that level but should rather be looked at as having various root causes. The tool looks at gender issues at three levels the root causes, the stem causes or transmitters and the branches and leaves. Often the disparities are seen at branch level but development experts should look at root causes of these disparities as well. Figure 2.2.1: AGAT Branches/Leaves are often observations such as: One woman chairperson in a total of 20 water point committees # of women involved in water productive activities Many women attending communal meetings but few contributing ideas Weak or no policies for gender. Stem: Institutions and channels of socialization e.g. family, religion, songs, stories, schooling system. Roots: Traditional practices, values and beliefs such as patriarchy. 21