THE United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has called for the effective promotion of gender equality in addressing issues of climate change.
UNDP Climate Change Regional Expert for Africa Excellent Hachileka said it was particularly important for African countries to note that women and girls face higher risks and greater burdens from the impacts of climate change.
Mr Hachileka said this during a capacity building training on gender and the role of young climate change negotiators organised by the Africa Group of Negotiators (AGN) in Livingstone yesterday.
Mr Hachileka said women and girls play a critical role as powerful change agents in climate action.
He said parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) had acknowl- edged that it was critical to involve women and men equally in UNFCCC processes and in the development of climate change policies that were gender responsive.
He said there was need to increase awareness and support the development and effective implementation of gender responsive climate policy and action at all levels. The meeting attracted young climate change negotia- tors from more than 20 African countries.
“Countries must come up with strategies that advance gender balance and integration of gender considerations into the work of parties towards achieving gender respon- sive climate policy and action,” Mr Hachileka said.
He said UNDP appreciates and values the important role the AGN plays in advancing Africa’s positions and contributions in addressing climate change.
He said UNPD was also supporting the Government of Zambia in its efforts on addressing climate change and sustainable development in general.
AGN Chairperson Ephraim Shitima said young and vibrant women must be brought to the climate change action negotiating table without fail.
Mr Shitima said the need for a female voice on matters of climate change could not be over-emphasised.
“It is important that we have a lot of young female negotiators because the impacts of climate change are disproportionate when you look at gender,” he said.
UNFCCC representative Laurence Pollier the youth and women were the most affected when it comes to is- sues of climate change.
Ms Pollier said young women had the most practical solutions to climate change because of their creativity and innovations.
