Climate Action 2017-2018

the global spectrum, women tend to be
marginalised from economic and political
power, and have limited access to financial
and material resources. This increases
their vulnerability to climate change and
limits their potential to adapt. Women
are also often less represented in the
corridors of power; have fewer legal rights,
including access to land; and occupy
fewer leadership roles in the workplace.
This means that while women are more
vulnerable to the eff ects of climate change,
they also have fewer opportunities to
make decisions on how to deal with it. We
must change this. Women have the right,
and need, to be at the forefront of eff orts to
deal with both climate adaptation and the
transition to a zero carbon economy.
I am proud to represent the first
explicitly feminist government in the world,
one that also has the goal of making
Sweden the world’s first fossil-free welfare
nation. I strongly believe that the major
political and environmental challenges
of today, like climate change, can and
must be turned into opportunities for
cooperation and confidence-building that
can help advance gender equality, prevent
conflicts and deliver positive outcomes for
all communities across borders.
There are numerous examples of
renewable energy investments that also
contribute to increased employment
opportunities for women that foster
female entrepreneurship. One example
that illustrates this is the KawiSafi
project, an investment fund that invests
in clean energy companies in Rwanda
and Kenya. The KawiSafi project has
dedicated funds to train women to
become solar technicians, while also
supporting women-led micro-finance
groups to generate demand for solar
energy. The majority of the populations
in Rwanda and Kenya are not connected
to main power grids. Subsequently, many
use oil or kerosene for domestic power
generation. These fossil fuels are often
expensive as they are imported, while
noxious fumes pose a serious health
risk – especially to women and girls, who
Ghana Bamboo Bikes is a socio-ecological green initiative run by a group of
enterprising women and young people in Ghana.
Credit: Jbdodane/Flickr
generally spend more time performing
household work. The move to solar
energy can thus reduce emissions and
domestic budgets, while also improving
women’s and girls’ health. This is a clear
gender co-benefit of climate action.
Another example of how women can
play a major role as business leaders and
help drive the transition toward sustainable
economic growth and development is
Ghana Bamboo Bikes. Ghana Bamboo
Bikes is a socio-ecological green initiative
run by a group of enterprising women and
young people who build bicycles out of
an unlikely material: bamboo. Ten farmers
grow the bamboo, and 25 builders craft
it into environmentally friendly bikes that
can be used on Ghana’s bumpy roads or
exported overseas. Bernice Dapaah, the
founder and CEO of Ghana Bamboo Bikes,
plans to build two new factories soon,
adding 50 more workers in communities
with high unemployment.
A feminist approach to climate action
is not only an issue of rights, it is also
smart policy for employment opportunities
and sustainable economic growth.
Devising ways to consider gender in
climate action will not always be easy
or obvious. Societies are made up of
complex relationships, sometimes based
on diff ering structures of kin, power and
financial resources. But continuing eff orts
to place gender consideration at the
centre of climate finance are necessary.
The world clearly needs more women
climate leaders, whether around the
tables where policy is made, or at the
helm of businesses, steering them toward
sustainability.
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POLICY