Gender and Climate Change
Women are powerful agents to combat climate change in their communities.
Climate change
Climate Change knows no gender but affects women and girls more negatively by increasing existing gender inequalities, which poses unique threats to their livelihoods, health, and safety. Also, recent happenings around the world show the need for more focus and attention in addressing issues on climate change. This has sparked GenCED’s interest in advocating for measures to make women and girls more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
Women make up half of the world's population yet their opinions are rarely heard in issues climate change. For diverse, innovative and progressive solutions for the adaptation of climate change, we need women in their uniqueness to weigh in in the steps to follow.
The Ghana government launched The National Climate Change Policy(NCCP) in 2014 which outlines issues as well as steps to mitigate them in the country. This includes Agriculture and Food Security, Disaster Preparedness and Response, Natural Resource and Management, Equitable Social Development and Energy, Industrial and Infrastructural Development. There have also been several global policies that have been put in place to deal with climate change.
Evidently, the most affected sector in Ghana is agriculture that relies on weather patterns and climatic conditions for productivity. Women make up most of the agricultural labor force and are higly dependant on blue color jobs for their survival. Unfortunately the impacts of climate change can be felt beyond this and is affected all jobs and sectors with millions of dollars spent in mitigation and adaptation
As much as climate change is a glaring reality to everyone, its impacts are gendered. Dues to society, economic and financial structures women are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. This is why capacity building efforts as well as resilience measure need to cater to both men and women differently.
The climate change mitigation
The climate change mitigation is also a European Union Policy adopted in 2009 to reduce emissions.
- Increase the use of renewable energy such as wind biomass, solar and combined heat and power installation.
- Improve energy efficiency in buildings, industries, and household appliances.
- Reduce carbon dioxide from new passengers cars. ✓ Abate bad measures in the manufacturing industry.
- Measures to reduce emissions from Landfill. GenCED through this program is committed to ensuring that women contribute their quota to curbing the effects of climate change through the following measures;
- Women are powerful agents to combat climate change in their communities.
- Sharpen their skills and innovative ideas in their effort to combating climate.
- Educate women on the adverse effects of global warming on our communities.
- Increase the awareness of climate change in remote communities and how this menace can effectively be dealt with in respective societies.
- Educate communities on the effects of deforestation and the use of second-hand refrigerators in our homes.