Gender and Climate Change: An Introduction

Description

Although climate change affects everybody it is not gender neutral. It has significant social impacts and magnifies existing inequalities such as the disparity between women and men in their vulnerability and ability to cope with this global phenomenon. This new textbook, edited by one of the authors of the seminal Women and the Environment in the Third World: Alliance for the Future (1988) which first exposed the links between environmental degradation and unequal impacts on women, provides a comprehensive introduction to gender aspects of climate change. Over 35 authors have contributed to the book. It starts with a short history of the thinking and practice around gender and sustainable development over the past decades. Next it provides a theoretical framework for analyzing climate change manifestations and policies from the perspective of gender and human security. Drawing on new research, the actual and potential effects of climate change on gender equality and women's vulnerabilities are examined, both in rural and urban contexts. This is illustrated with a rich range of case studies from all over the world and valuable lessons are drawn from these real experiences. Too often women are primarily seen as victims of climate change, and their positive roles as agents of change and contributors to livelihood strategies are neglected. The book disputes this characterization and provides many examples of how women around the world organize and build resilience and adapt to climate change and the role they are playing in climate change mitigation. The final section looks at how far gender mainstreaming in climate mitigation and adaptation has advanced, the policy frameworks in place and how we can move from policy to effective action. Accompanied by a wide range of references and key resources, this book provides students and professionals with an essential, comprehensive introduction to the gender aspects of climate change. Gender and Climate Change: An Introduction Copyright Contents List of Figures, Tables and Boxes List of Contributors Foreword Testimony List of Acronyms and Abbreviations 1 Introduction: Exploring Gender, Environment and Climate Change Part I The Analysis 2 Gender, Environment and Climate Change: Understanding the Linkages 3 Climate Change, Human Security and Gender Case Study 3.1 Climate Change and Women’s Voices from India 4 Cities, Climate Change and Gender: A Brief Overview Case Study 4.1 Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) by Informal Waste Recyclers in Delhi, India Case Study 4.2 Gender Mainstreaming in the Climate Change Response of Sorsogon City, the Philippines Part II Realities on the Ground 5 Learning from Practice: Case Studies Case Study 5.1 Responding to Climate Change in Vietnam: Opportunities for Improving Gender Equality Case Study 5.2 Gender Dimensions, Climate Change and Food Security of Farmers in Andhra Pradesh, India Case study 5.3 The Gender Impact of Climate Change in Nigeria Case Study 5.4 Gendered Vulnerability to Climate Change in Limpopo Province, South Africa Case Study 5.5 Gender Perspectives in Adaptation Strategies: The Case of Pintadas Solar in the Semi-arid Region of Brazil Case Study 5.6 Climate Change and Indigenous Women in Colombia Case Study 5.7 Gender Aspects of Climate Change in the US Gulf Coast Region Case Study 5.8 Women at Work: Mitigation Opportunities at the Intersection of Reproductive Justice and Climate Justice – Examples from Two Industrial Sectors in the US Part III Strategies and Action 6 Establishing the Linkages between Gender and Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation 7 Climate Change and Gender: Policies in Place 8 Why More Attention to Gender and Class Can Help Combat Climate Change and Poverty 9 Women Organizing for a Healthy Climate Case Study 9.1 Climate Justice through Energy and Gender Justice: Strengthening Gender Equality in Accessing Sustainable Energy in the EECCA Region Case Study 9.2 National Federation of Women’s Institutes: Women Organizing for a Healthy Climate Case Study 9.3 Women and the Environmental Justice Movement in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria 10 Epilogue: From Divergence towards Convergence Case Study 10.1 Gender-disaggregated Data for Assessing the Impact of Climate Change Case Study 10.2 Gender and Climate Information: A Case Study from Limpopo Province, South Africa Index