Climate change

The 2012 SADC Gender Protocol Barometer notes that Climate change in Southern Africa is exacting a heavy toll through droughts and floods playing havoc with livelihoods, especially of the poorest, the majority of whom are women and children.

The SADC Gender Protocol Alliance has embarked on a regional campaign to lobby and advocate for the adoption of an Addendum to the SADC Gender Protocol on climate change and sustainable development. By mid-August 2012, the Alliance had collected 854 signatures from 15 SADC countries in favour of the Addendum. The Alliance tasked Forum Mulher, the Mozambican focal network, with presenting this to SADC Heads of State at their Summit 16-17 August 2012.

Women only account for 21% of key decision-makers in ministries concerned with climate change and sustainable development, far from the 50% mark. Several countries now have policies to address climate change and also make efforts to comply with international norms and adhere to global obligations; few to none of these policies have clear gender considerations.

Adaptation and mitigation programmes exist in parts of the different countries; women benefit from these but are not primary target groups. There is a dearth of statistics on effects of extreme climatic events on women and other vulnerable individuals.SADC countries are making good progress in developing and introducing sustainable, cleaner and renewable sources of energy, but these are gender blind. Click here to read the Climate change chapter.