Page 15 - Pocket Guide to Gender Equality under the UNFCCC

HOW HAS GENDER BEEN INTEGRATED INTO DECISIONS UNDER THE UNFCCC?In the last few years, the UNFCCC – the only one out of three Rio Conventions9 that lacked mandates on women’s rights and gender equality from the outset – has made major strides in integrating gender across all thematic areas in the negotiations. Most notable in recent years are the launch in 2014 of the Lima Work Programme on Gender and the integration of gender in the Paris Agreement, as a preambular principle for all climate action, as well as in relation to adaptation and capacity building. Decisions have aimed to enhance gender equality via both policy and practice, encouraging gender balance in decision-making as well as responsiveness to gender issues in the development, implementation and monitoring of climate change policies and actions.PARTICIPATION AND REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN THE UNFCCCThe early focus of the UNFCCC discussions on gender was on enhancing women’s participation in the negotiations. Equal access to decision-making is a critical step towards achieving gender equality. Research shows that the equitable participation of women and men in climate change decision making can provide the crosscutting experiences necessary for climate change policies that embody social equity and refect and serve the needs of society. A 2005 study indicated that countries with higher proportions of women in their national legislative bodies are more likely to approve environmental agreements. 4