Guest Speakers from UNEP Participate in Environmental Policy Class

By Emirjona Cake, PhD Candidate at AGS

On Thursday March 19, 2015, Dr. Rahel Steinbach, Programme Officer at UNEP, Energy Branch, Division of Technology, Industry and Economics and Marie Jalabert, Gender and Energy Efficiency Consultant with UNEP, gave a presentation at AGS in Dr. Anand’s class on International Environmental Politics entitled “Gender and Sustainable Development”. This talk was embedded in a lecture on Environmental Justice, which argues that low-income and minority populations have been disproportionately targeted with ‘environmental bads.’ The Environmental justice framework focuses on two types of justice, namely procedural justice and distributive justice – in the context of which the topic ‘Gender and Sustainable Development’ was particularly relevant.

The following is a summary of the presentation with the important points that were made by Dr. Steinbach and Ms. Jalabert in regards to the link between gender and sustainable development.

A few key points made by Dr. Steinbach:

- Gender and the environment are inextricably linked. In order to combat environmental degradation, we must give women, men, boys and girls equal voice.

- Women in poor communities are most affected by climate change and environmental degradation. They have the most limited access to resources and don’t have other economic means to provide for themselves. Hence, they are less able to adapt to the negative effects of climate change such as drought, which results in scarcity of food and water.

Dr. Steinbach and Marie Jalabert showed, through a series of examples, that there is a clear link between the environment and the socially and culturally different roles of women, men, boys and girls. They demonstrated the disastrous impact of environmental degradation and lack of resources on poor women in developing nations. Furthermore, Dr. Steinbach was able to show how women all over the world lack sufficient representation and access to decision-making in their respective governments and that this prevents nations quite often from adopting more gender-sensitive policies, which would result in enhanced effectiveness and sustainable growth. In order to correct the gender gap, according to Dr. Steinbach, specific approaches have to be considered, where qualitative and quantitative inclusion of women in all areas and gender-sensitive policies and actions are key.

According to Dr. Steinbach, the gender gap goes far beyond a gendered difference in access to education and systematic differences in unpaid work; it is a norm in every country. In 2015, there is no single country on the planet where women boast the same kind of economic and political power as men.

When it comes to the environment, this gender gap is felt more prevalently in countries that are significantly affected by climate change, and it is especially affecting the poorest female-headed households. Energy and gender are inextricably linked, as women and girls from poor communities are lowest on the energy ladder, making it particularly difficult for them to obtain access to cleaner and more modern sources of energy.

The energy ladder starts at the bottom with crop waste and dung and reaches the top with access to electricity.

The idea of environmental justice applies to all and in this context it is particularly relevant to poor women, who are the most affected by environmental degradation. UNEP is taking on the task of demonstrating how women, men, boys and girls all have a role to play in environmental sustainability and how the concept of environmental justice applies to all. UNEP does so by integrating gender considerations into its key work streams, which are 1) assessing global environmental conditions and trends, 2) developing international and national environmental instruments, and 3) strengthening institutions for the wise management of the environment.

Dr. Steinbach expressed that an increase in “gender blindness” will lead to less effective environmental protection and management. In order to effectively address the gender gap, it is necessary to take a two-step analysis when working towards bridging this gap. Dr. Steinbach outlined the difference between practical gender needs and strategic gender needs.

Practical gender needs address the immediate needs of both men and women in relation to their societal roles (such as access to food, etc). Strategic gender needs help to change the existing gender roles and to address equality issues (such as access to a job which increases the woman’s income and changes her role and status within the community). Some examples of strategic needs are employment opportunities, access to resources such as credit and education, and enhancing participation and decision-making at various levels. Practical needs focus on more immediate problems, such as access to healthy food and non-polluted air.

The task of gender mainstreaming will take time, but it includes both institutional and cultural transformation, where the interests and needs of both men and women are taken into consideration. Gender and the environment are thus inextricably linked and environmental sustainability cannot be brought about without an equal, more just world. By rendering environmental policy-making more gender-sensitive, which includes ‑ but is not limited to ‑ ensuring that women and men are equal policy-makers, there is a sense of inclusion that creates better strategies for the sustainable development of nations.

A project presented by Dr. Steinbach, which peaked the interest of many students, myself included, was gender-sensitive public transport solutions provided by UNEP. The project ensures that women have access to transportation to work or for education purposes, which addresses their strategic needs (empowerment closing the gender gap) but also provides an environmentally friendly solution by causing less pollution. This project has, for instance, been implemented in some cities in India, where rape and crimes against women are shockingly high.

The talk was followed by a dynamic Q & A session.

On behalf of the students at AGS, we would like to thank Dr. Steinbach and Ms. Jalabert for their presentation on such a relevant and interesting topic, and we hope to have her present to us again in the future.