UTS researchers explored the connections between gender equality and climate action in the Pacific and identified four pathways to support ongoing progress for women and girls’ participation and leadership in climate action.
Project summary
The increasing impacts of climate change have gendered implications. Men, women, and people of diverse genders experience climate change impacts differently - partly because gender is a critical factor in exposure to climate disasters. Climate crises occur in socioeconomic and political contexts where women’s rights and autonomy may already be constrained. As a result, women and girls are disproportionately affected by climate disasters.
The Pacific region is prone to different types of disasters, with climate change often being a key driver of disaster frequency and intensity. UTS researchers undertook a project to gather and analyse data on progress being made, and ongoing challenges towards gender equality in climate change and disaster risk reduction in the Pacific. This project was part of the mid-term review of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Pacific. The Sendai Framework was endorsed by the UN General Assembly in 2015, with the primary objective being the substantial reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health.
This research revealed four key pathways that promote gender equality in climate action in the Pacific. These pathways provide guidance to governments, civil society and development partners to support ongoing progress for women and girls’ participation and leadership in climate action.
Pathway 1: Women-led partnerships and coalitions - Amplify diverse experiences for a collective and stronger voice for advocacy on climate and disaster resilience.
Pathway 2: Women’s economic empowerment for disaster risk reduction - Supports women’s agency and enables women and their communities to build back better and be more resilient to multiple risks.
Pathway 3: Diverse and long-term partnerships - Supports two-way dialogue with national and regional organisations for ongoing gender responsive approaches in disaster risk reduction.
Pathway 4: Directly influencing individuals, policy and environment - Funding for upskilling women leaders as change agents, policy change through incentives and upgrading infrastructures enabled positive developments.
Project timeframe
2022 - 2023
SDG targets addressed by this project
Gender equality:
5.5 - Ensure women's full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life
5.b - Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women
5.c - Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels
Climate action:
13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries
13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning
13.b - Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries and small island developing States, including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities
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Research Principal - ISF -
Senior Research Consultant - ISF
