English: Cyber dialogue summary for 6 December 2011, Gender and Climate Change

Cyber Dialogue Summary

Gender and climate justice

Date: 6 December 2011

Theme: Men as partners in addressing climate change

Panelists: Kubi Rama (GL COO); Shuvai Nyoni (Gender Justice Manager À“ GL)

Dialogue Statistics

1. Who are the main decision makers in issues of climate change?

• The minister of environment and tourism/(ministry of environment).
• Academics, politicians, religious leaders and ordinaty people À“ they all have to play a role in decision making.
• The government and business leaders are the key decision makers.
• Those that are in high positions.
• Some NGOs that are working on issues of climate change.

2. Are there women amongst these decision makers?

• Women are the main decision makers? If you believe the myth that behind every strong man there is a woman.
• Decision making on climate change is confined to a few men.
• There are a few women who are known to make decisions, especially on climate change.
• There are some women in ministries dealing with environment however it was not possible to determine how many are in decision making positions.

3. How do you think the decision makers on climate change can include gender issues into their decisions?

• Climate change has not included gender issues. It affects women in developing nations especially in rural communities. Gender issues must be considered.
• By involving women in the first place. Women need to be represented in the decision making processes. If included it means they will bring their lived experiences to the table.
• Gender is cross cutting and has to be included in all decisions and policies on climate change.
• Issues of climate change involve everyone, both men and women; climate change affects both genders.
• Climate change is something that has nothing to do with male or female, though we know that the major corporations are responsible for the ever-changing climate, and those are mostly controlled by men.
• Gender should not be a major consideration. We should just target climate change as whole. How exactly are gender issues supposed to be assimilated into the climate change decisions?\
• We should establish a community mobilization organization in SADC for climate change.
• There is need to ensure that gender sensitive women are part of the negotiations but also that research and analysis is done using gender disaggregated data.
• By sensitization because it seems more men are already involved.

4. Other comments

• We really need to take care of our environment for the generations to come.
• Big nations and big business must really commit on the issue of the enviroment. They need to demonstrate how they will assist to reduce carbon emissions.
• How do we ensure that issues of gender based violence and climate change are mainstreamed and addressed simultaneously?
• If women in rural areas could be economically empowered and stop relying on coal and wood to cook for their husbands that will also reduce emissions during winter.
• Climate change affects us differently as men and women. Men still benefit more from employment in industries that affect our climate such as mines. Women are employed mostly in farms. Which ever way we look at it farmers are affected by climate change in a negetive way and that means that women will be affected in a negative way.
• Let us engage local structures such as ward committees to address climate change.
• We need to move to a point where all deliberations are acompanied by tangible outcomes related to previous activity such as COP 16 in this case.
• How about linking this climate change debate with what we are told about in the book of revelation from the bible? Maybe it is true that this is the end of the world and everything shall perish.
• Sasol and Eskom are the culprits in polluting the environment, they use lot of coal.
• We in the slums are suffering, not people in good houses.