Climate Change and International Womens Day

Climate Change and International Womens Day



March 2007 - The world's largest 
conservation organization added a new component today to the 
annual celebration of International Women’s Day. For the first 
time, IUCN-The World Conservation Union is incorporating 
gender equality into the battle against global warming. 
Around the world International Women’s Day was marked with 
events focused on ending violence against women and girls and 
recognizing the contributions of females to human well-being 
and environmental protection. 
IUCN Director General Julia Marton-Lefevre said, "If we are to 
be successful in addressing one of the most challenging 
environmental and social issues of our time – climate change – 
we must incorporate a gender perspective in this work." 
Julia Marton-Lefevre of Hungary became IUCN director general 
on January 1, 2007. 
When swift environmental changes and natural disasters come 
along, she pointed out, it is the women who are poor and 
landless yet responsible for food production, health and 
safety of their families and communities are the most 
vulnerable. 
"IUCN is committed to addressing climate change and gender 
equality hand in hand, and learning from the most positive 
examples," said Marton-Lefevre. 
"In Honduras, an effort to ensure gender balanced 
participation in early warning systems training saved an 
entire community during Hurricane Mitch," she said. "During a 
disaster in Micronesia, a community realized that women’s 
knowledge of hydrology was critical to survival. And several 
European countries are exploring ways to promote women’s and 
men’s equal participation in measures to prevent climate 
change." 
The IUCN today recognized 23 women for their outstanding 
efforts to combat global warming. From Australia, China, 
Cameroon, Canada, Fiji, Germany, India, Mexico, Netherlands, 
New Zealand, Pakistan, Sudan, Sweden, Tuvalu, and the United 
States, these women are scientists, activists, community 
developers, politicians, lawyers, and educators. 
They have in common a dedication to releasing the planet and 
the human community from the bonds of environmental 
degradation, poverty and global warming. 
"Since women form a disproportionate share of the poor in 
developing regions and communitites that are highly dependenet 
on local natural resources, women are likely to be 
disproportionately vulnerable to the effects of climate 
change," said Rose Abunaw Makia, one of the women honored by 
the IUCN. 
Makia serves as deputy speaker at the Cameroon National 
Assembly and chairperson for the African Parliamentarian 
Network for a Climate Community for Central and West Africa. 
Deputy Speaker of the Cameroon National Assembly Rose Abunaw 
Makia 
Participation of women in the international climate change 
negotiation process has been "minimal" to date, said Makia, 
but unless women are fully involved in planning and decision 
making, "the quality of adaptive measures will be limited and 
their successful implementation will remain doubtful." 
IUCN honoree Sukulu Rupeni of Fiji works with marine and 
climate scientists from the University of the South Pacific to 
raise awareness in Fiji communities with education and drama. 
"We train youth from those target communities on climate and 
variability change, biodiversity and sustainable development," 
Rupeni says. "Once youth have acquired these information, we 
work with them to create plays, songs and traditional dances 
on the topic. These productions are rehearsed and once ready, 
they are performed as awareness tools in the communities." 
German engineer and sociologist Ulrike Roehr, another IUCN 
honoree, has been working on gender issues in planning, local 
Agenda 21, building, energy, climate change, and broader 
sustainable development issues since the late 1970s. 
German engineer and sociologist Ulrike Roehr works on gender 
and climate change issues. 
"I am certain that, for all policies and mechanisms aiming at 
climate change mitigation, addressing equity is a precondition 
for their successful implementation," said Roehr. "Taking into 
account justice and especially gender justice in climate 
change debates and policies will lead to a shift from mere 
technical and economic solutions to integrated approaches, 
which put livelihood and people in the center." 
"To cope with the challenge, we need the experience and 
competence of women. With all my energy I work towards 
integrating gender perspectives into mitigation of and 
adaptation to climate change," Roehr said. 
IUCN honoree Lara Hansen works as a climate change scientist 
with the WWF in Washington, DC. "Everything on the planet is 
being affected by climate change," she warns. "It's not a 
problem of the future, it's a problem of now." 
The IUCN is uniquely equipped to mobilize action against 
climate change. A worldwide partnership, the IUCN is active in 
82 countries, and works with 111 government agencies, more 
than 800 nongovernmental organizations, and some 10,000 
scientists and experts from 181 countries. 
IUCN Director General Marton-Lefevre says, "By understanding 
how women and men are each affected by climate change and its 
impacts, and by ensuring that both women and men contribute to 
climate change mitigation and adaptation measures, IUCN will 
continue to be at the forefront of conserving nature and 
ensuring equitable and sustainable use of natural resources." 





 

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