CLIMATE CHANGE, MIGRATION AND GENDER: SEEKING SOLUTIONS:
The ISS, THE African Institute for Security Studies issued a report on the effects of climate change on women’s welfare in sub-Saharan countries and we feel that Sudan is a perfect example for states suffering from the harsh consequences of this phenomenon. { Citizen online newspaper].
In war-affected areas, instability left the environment in dire danger where locals find it more difficult to continue with the life style they had been accustomed to for years. Women in particular are taking the brunt of this situation. In areas such as the Blue Nile and south Kordofan in Sudan, families largely depend on women and young girls to collect firewood and water from areas mostly far away from their homes. Women in all destabilized regions need help and urgent solutions to the problems the face every day.
a recent report issued by the website of the Institute For Security Studies shed light on women suffering from the effects of climate change that led in recent months to world-wide floods , wild fires and other natural calamities and Sudan was one of the countries that were affected by such disasters.
The report said change exposes underlying discrimination and inequality. Gender inequalities and gendered roles mean that climate change disproportionately impacts women.
Politically, socially and economically marginalized people are more vulnerable to climate impacts because they are less likely to access the financial and social assets needed to cope.
Women and girls spend almost 200 million hours collecting water daily. In water-scarce situations, they must travel further. This restricts access to education, livelihoods and safety.
It added that involving women in all decision-making phases – from project design to implementation and evaluation – leads to more informed, sustainable and equitable decisions. It went to say that women are responsible for 80% of food production in Sub-Saharan Africa but rarely own.
The report put forward a number of recommendations which are summarized as follows:
Donors and international climate funds: Increase the quantity and quality of gender- responsive financing that includes mobility, flexible and innovative financial tools that are easier for women and vulnerable communities to access. Integrate gender responsiveness into all project design and implementation stages. These should include equity targets to reach marginalized gender groups. Improve access to green technologies, green livelihoods, green infrastructure and water infrastructure to help avert and minimize forced displacement of women.
Climate change decision makers: Improve access to small-scale loans for women and other vulnerable groups.
Gender-responsive climate finance in Africa from public funding has increased from an average of US$80 million in 2010 to US$1.6 billion in 2019. However, most still failed to consider gender.
Climate funds’ lack of universal gender accounting and reporting standards makes it difficult to accurately track and evaluate gender- responsive financing.
Climate adaptation funding is insufficient and existing mechanisms do not explicitly reference climate-linked mobility.
To read the full report, visit the ISS SITE.