GGCA Gender and Climate Change Training Manual - Women's ...

sustainable change (UN/ISDR, 2008). This can be an example of lessons learned
and can be used by development planners to modify projects so that they
capitalize on the significance of women’s input and their eminent potential for
change.
DRRs can be modified to promote more gender-sensitive approaches in
guiding countries towards more sustainable practices while reducing the impacts
of natural disasters. New strategies can be created from a gender perspective,
existing projects can be scaled up to ensure the vital participation of women at
every level, and women’s networks can be used to lead their communities, not
only in times of disaster, but to become regular fixtures on local, national and
international stages (UN/ISDR, 2008). Incorporating a gender perspective in DRRs,
including through gender-sensitive data and promoting women’s participation,
can help bring a gender perspective to all levels of disaster preparedness.
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The following steps for gender mainstreaming the DRRs were adapted
from “Gender Perspectives on Climate Change” (52 nd session of the United
Nations Commission on the Status of Women, 28 February, 2008) and are meant
to act as interactive guidelines for including women at all levels of the response
to climate change and natural disasters:
• Include gender perspectives into disaster reduction efforts at the
national, regional and international levels – including in policies,
strategies, action plans and programmes;
• Analyze climate change data (such as desertification, floods, drought
and deforestation) from a woman’s perspective;
• Take gender-conscious steps to 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;
• Increase the participation of women in all levels of the decisionmaking
process;
• Identify key women at local levels to guarantee gender perspectives
are considered when preparing early warning mechanisms;
• Ensure that women are being visibly used as agents of change at all
levels of disaster preparedness, including early warning systems,
communication networks and educational opportunities;
Module 4