Gender equality central to effective climate action

PARIS, France–As the nations of the world meet here in the French capital to comp up with a new climate deal, it is critical that women play a central role in this historic conference. Gender equality is central to effective climate action, according to the Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO).

In a side event here, Filipino gender advocate Teresita Vistro of the WEDO urges global leaders to listen to gender advocates and to include gender equality in the final text of the Paris climate deal.

A survivor of typhoon Ketsana in 2009 that submerged Luzon and Metro Manila in the Philippines, Vistro said that women especially in poor nations suffer the brunt of climate impacts. This was shown more clearly during the onslaught of typhoon Haiyan in 2013.

She has also conducted research and documented the impacts of climate change on crop sectors and is an active participant and member of the Women and Gender Constituency developing WGC positions for the Geneva negotiating text and led the team that developed the mitigation section of the text.

“Women are in the frontlines in facing the impacts of climate change, especially in poor nations but gender equality are often left in brackets during negotiations,” Vistro told Philippine Environews.

Here is the video message of Vistro to the climate negotiators, calling for an urgent and more inclusive climate deal:

In another interview, Celia Liagoura, member of the Climate Action Network on Women and Leadership said that there is a need to scale up the current 30 percent women representatives in the climate ministerial meetings.

WEDO and its partners have launched an 11-point demand for the Paris climate deal that highlights the involvement of women in policy planning and climate action.

“Women are vulnerable (as a sector) but all over the world we also see women doing local actions on climate adaptation. What we need to do is scale up these efforts as we move forward,” Vistro added.

reporting by Anna Valmero; editing by Imelda Abano