Gender and Ambitious Agendas for COP28

Couple of months back before the COP28 Conference in Dubai, I took participation in an online discussion forum on “Women bringing new agendas to COP28” which was arranged by the Australian National University Gender Institute. In that discussion, the main focus was on women and climate conversation as well as some ambitious agendas for upcoming COP28 in United Arab Emirates in November-December 2023. Among the participants, Natalie Sifuma from a Nairobi based organization named SHE Changes Climate (working for 50:50 representation of women at all levels of negotiations) mentioned that the percentages of women delegation should be 50% in COP28 which was only 39% in COP27 (as per UNFCC report) and obviously it was an ambitious agenda.

Additionally, they wanted women not only as number of participants rather as keen part of the solutions like all levels of decision making, starting with the COP presidency teams, government delegations and non-state-actors in climate negotiations. In this regard, Natalie claimed that women are more vulnerable in the subject matter of climate change. She added that around 90 percent victims were women and children in Bangladesh in the cyclone of 1991 and intense heat waves and droughts in the Middle- East are 14 times vulnerable for women than men. Almost similar trends were revealed in Pakistan during floods as women and girls from conservative societies of Pakistan are being taught swimming to minimize risk. The most vital point which is mentioned by Natalie was that, climate crisis is a leadership crisis in fact. Proper gender-balanced leadership and activities can bring the solutions in this regard. Consequently, different women-based organizations as well as multi stakeholder’s dialogue can contribute for the crisis effectively. 

In their blog, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS) discussed that women are taking part of leadership in different climate solutions as activists, decision makers and peace builders on the frontlines of adaptation efforts. Nonetheless, women are excluded from climate decision making roles. They have limited access to climate funds, climate earmarked overseas development assistance (ODA) and opportunities in climate smart agriculture. The importance of leadership is also admitted by UAE Ambassador and UN representative Lana Nusseibeh through her recent comment as “Equity in climate action also means equity in the actors behind it. Women must be leaders in combating climate change because it disproportionately affects women and girls.”

GIWPS suggested four key areas of action for the advancement of inclusive climate action for COP28 -1) Ensure the Loss and Damage Fund (a major breakthrough from COP27 in acknowledging the vast inequities of climate change impacts and the need to channel resources to countries and communities most affected) is a gender-sensitive and transformative platform for inclusive and just climate action. 2) Increase and enable women’s access to inclusive climate finance. For example - Green Climate Fund, Global Environment Facility, Adaptation Fund, Sustainable Impact Fund need to develop their strategies to reach local level leaders/actors for climate adaptation solutions and match with a gender-inclusive implementation plan to reach those most affected areas and addressed gender barriers within funding mechanisms. 3) Promote women’s parity in COP delegations and leadership at all levels of climate action. The governments should ensure gender parity in their representation, all level of climate change decision making and negotiations and nominate a National Gender and Climate Change Focal Point for the convention. 4) Strengthen the integration of gender in UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) processes and climate change policies.

The COP28 Presidency and Parties should draw on the expertise of National Gender and Climate Change Focal Points, the Women and Gender Constituency, women climate leaders and activists to create opportunities for their perspectives and notify key debates and decisions at COP28. Dedicated efforts are needed to support activities and implementation of the UNFCCC Gender Action Plan (GAP) and National Gender and Climate Change Focal Points which can play a significant role in these regards. 

In this respect, UNFCCC highlighted gender parity in their conferences first in COP18. COP25 recognized that the full, meaningful and equal participation and leadership of women in all aspects of the UNFCCC process and in national and local-level climate policy making and action is vital for achieving long-term climate goals. Subsequently, COP26 took note on the constant stagnation in in-person participation, challenges identified in promoting women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in virtual forums, and the urgent need for improving the representation and leadership of women. Later, COP27 adopted some amendments for their Gender Action Plan and agreed on intermediate review of its implementation. Moreover, COP27 requested the secretariat to support the attendance of national gender and climate change focal points at relevant UNFCCC mandated meetings, upon request and subject to available resources. 

The Secretariat of UNFCCC published an annual breakdown for COP28 recently which includes the gender composition of constituted bodies established under the different conventions to assist Parties in tracking progress towards meeting the goal of gender balance in advancing gender-sensitive climate policy. Along with the ratio of gender-based participation in conference on COP27, the latest report also includes a case study on the gender composition of party delegates having received funding through the Trust Fund for Participation in the UNFCCC process for in-person participation in the conference in Sharm el-Sheikh in 2022. The report revealed that only 5 constituted bodies out of 16 have achieved the goal of gender balance compared with 4 out of 17 in 2022 as well as an increase of 3percent points in female representation among heads and deputy heads of delegation. However, COP was hopeful enough on agendas from different activists and organisations for gender issues in COP28. According to President of COP28, “We want COP 28 to be a COP of Action, a COP of Impact, and a COP for All. But there is no way to achieve any of this vision without putting gender equality front and centre.”

As a part of discussion with global leaders, President of COP28 visited Bangladesh before the conference and met with the Prime Minister and they jointly committed to work for the world’s most vulnerable communities. They also discussed about the reform of climate finance and progress on the operationalising of Loss and Damage fund in line with the COP 27 agreement. However, there is no specific update on gender-based representation in all level of climate change decision making and negotiations and nominate a National Gender and Climate Change Focal Point for COP28 from the governmental level. 

Therefore, in the spotlight of COP28 Conference in Dubai 30 November – 13 December 2023, there were only 15 women among 140 world leaders scheduled to speak. The proportion was 11 among 111 speakers list in the conference at Sharm el-Sheikh. Organisation like Women’s Agenda describe the situation as “amongst the sea of men in suits, female faces are largely absent despite the well-known fact that women are more vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change”.

Accordingly, SHE changes Climate commented about conference as "Major decision taken at COP28 to transition away from fossil fuels by 2030 but more to be done to accelerate implementation and improve gender balance."  In this regard, GIWPS extended their engagement with different critical themes by co-hosting and participating in several events which focused on investing in the climate response of local women on the frontlines of climate impacts in Dubai Conference. They also promised to effectively lead the way to climate justice for all. As a participant, Bangladesh also endoresed their partnership to support women’s economic empowerment and ensure a gender responsive just transition at COP28 Gender Equality Day.

In these respect we can rely on Sarah Hendriks, (the deputy executive director of UN Women) comment as “We need to transform economies away from extraction and pollution and integrate women’s rights into all aspects of climate policy and financing” as well as wait for transition in leadership and gender balance to tackle the climate crisis successfully in upcoming events gradually.

The writer is a Joint Director, Bangladesh Bank