Gender day will take place on 21 November 2024
High Level Event on Gender in Transparency
10:00 - 12:00 AZT/UTC+4
Plenary Caspian
Webcast here
Pictures here
Background
Climate change causes widespread adverse impacts and related losses and damages to nature and people that are unequally distributed across systems, regions and sectors. Science shows that vulnerability to climate change is exacerbated by inequity and marginalization, including in connection to gender, ethnicity, disability, age, and historical and ongoing patterns of inequity.[1] Climate change’s gendered effects exacerbate existing gender inequalities, representing severe threats to women and girls’ health, livelihoods, and safety. Climate policy responses themselves can have unintended negative gendered impacts when they do not take this context into account. Moreover, barriers to participation of women and other groups affected by inequalities and discrimination need to be removed to ensure everyone can fully contribute to climate actions. Disproportionate burdens due to roles in resource management, caregiving, limited access to resources and decision-making processes and power need to be addressed. Integrating gender considerations, specific vulnerabilities, needs, and contributions, in adaptation and mitigation strategies enhances the effectiveness and sustainability of climate action and promotes social justice. Gender equality and women’s empowerment are fundamental principles of sustainable development and effective climate action and crucial for achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Countries are increasingly making efforts to ensure their climate planning is gender responsive. Gender was referenced by 85.2 per cent of Parties in the latest reports and communications submitted to the UNFCCC. In specific, 81.5 per cent of Parties mentioned gender in their latest available NDCs; while gender was referenced in 95.0 per cent of NAPs, 93.8 per cent of NCs and 54.9 per cent of LT-LEDS most recently submitted by each Party.[2] Parties increasingly recognize gender integration as a means to enhance their overall ambition and effectiveness in climate planning, therefore it is expected that gender will feature prominently in the forthcoming Biennial Transparency Reports (BTR1s). Of the three BTR1s that were submitted by 31 July, two included substantive references to gender e.g., on national circumstances and institutional arrangements, related to impacts, means of implementation and support required and received. [3]
As countries prepare to submit their BTR1s in 2024, this event is a timely opportunity to reflect on how the transparency framework can be leveraged to advance understanding and accountability of gender-responsive climate action through reporting on policies and measures, NDCs implementation, and support provided or received.
By including gender data and disaggregating data, governments and stakeholders can better assess the differential impacts of climate policies, identify gaps in implementation, and track progress. Integrating gender into reporting can lead to more comprehensive and effective policy planning as well as help to identify and unlock required support and resources for implementation.
GENDER EQUALITY DAY
Gender Day each year focuses on a thematic area relevant to the Convention and the Paris Agreement to promote coherence reflecting multidimensional factors.
The COP 29 Gender Equality Day, as per usual practice, will be divided into two parts: firstly, a high-level segment, taking place in the morning, followed by a technical dialogue in the afternoon. This concept note relates to the high-level segment.
Objectives
The proposed high-level event during Gender Equality Day aims to highlight the importance and benefits of including gender considerations within the transparency framework to ensure lessons learned and needs can be captured in the global stock take, built on in next rounds of NDCs and other climate policies and plans. In this context the HL event will catalyze high level commitments and accountability for gender inclusion in climate action and reporting by governments including reporting on previous commitments on financing and the gender-responsive just transitions and climate action partnership launched at COP 28.
The importance of gender and environment data was highlighted during the Gender and Environment Data Conference organized by the Offices of the President of the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP 28) and the UN Climate Change High Level Champions, UN Women and members of GEDA (Gender and Environment Data Alliance) including UNFCCC, IUCN and the Women’s Environment and Development Organization. It included the launch of a Call to Action on gender and environment data.[4] The gender-responsive just transitions and climate action partnership[5], includes commitments to improving tracking and reporting on gender-related aspects of climate finance, impact measurement and mainstreaming, efforts to reflect progress on gender equality in Biennial Transparency Reports, and use of disaggregated data and standard indicators.
In complementarity to the technical dialogue, the HL event will:
- Demonstrate political support to mainstream gender in transparency and accountability processes to ensure progress on gender equality in climate action and more ambitious climate plans by Parties.
- Catalyze commitment from governments and observers to support the integration of gender considerations in reporting under the UNFCCC, including through good practice examples.
- Encourage commitment from governments to integrate gender in their NDCs and to join and report on the gender-responsive just transitions and climate action partnership.
Outcomes
As a result of the HL event there will be:
- Increased awareness and common understanding among policymakers on the importance of including gender considerations in climate action plans and NDCs and in reporting under the UNFCCC
- Increased political commitment to ensuring adequate support for gender data and reporting on gender commitments.
- Governments and key stakeholders have clear evidence on how to better incorporate gender considerations in reporting under the UNFCCC.
- Stronger commitment from governments to join and report progress on the gender-responsive just transitions and climate action partnership.
Participants
- Governments – political leaders, state officials and representatives under the partnership, working in areas related to gender, transparency and/or just transition
- IFIs and Financing Institutions
- Global Data Institutes
- UN entities and IGOs
- Civil society organizations supporting climate reporting and tracking
Agenda
Moderation by Prof. Rangita de Silva de Alwis, member of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
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Opening and welcome remarks
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10:00 – 10:20
(20 min)
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Objective: as done in previous years, an artistic presentation can emotionally engage participants, setting a more empathetic and motivated atmosphere for the discussions that follow
- Welcome remarks by COP29 President, Minister Mukhtar Babayev
- UN Climate Change Deputy Executive Secretary, Noura Hamladji
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Keynote speeches
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10:20 – 10:35
(15 min)
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Objective: underscore the importance of and encourage the mainstreaming of gender in transparency and accountability processes to ensure progress on gender equality in climate action and more ambitious climate plans by Parties
- Dr. Jemimah Njuki, Chief of Economic Empowerment, UN Women on behalf of UN Women Executive Director, H.E. Sima Sami Bahaus
- Artistic intervention
- Chairperson of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Bahar Muradova
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High-level panel – Enhancing gender integration in BTRs and NDCs
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10:35 – 11:10
(35 min)
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Objectives: (i) encourage commitment from governments to integrate gender in their climate plans and reporting; (ii) raise awareness of available support to do so; (iii) encourage commitment to support gender data and reporting on gender commitments; iv) encourage governments to join and report on the gender-responsive just transitions and climate action partnership
- Assistant Administrator and Director for Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP, Marcos Athias Neto
- Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights for Mexico, Enrique Ochoa
- UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28, H.E. Ms. Razan Al Mubarak
- UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP29, Nigar Arpadarai
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Fireside chat – Good practices in leveraging gender data for transparency
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11:10-11:50
(40 min)
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Objective: provide governments and key stakeholders with clear evidence on how to better incorporate gender considerations and leverage gender data in reporting under the UNFCCC
- Gender and Environmental Data Alliance, Executive Director at WEDO, Bridget Burns
- Women and Gender Constituency, All Out for Sustainability, Diego de Leon
- Director for Climate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Brazil, Liliam Chagas
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Closing
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11:50 – 12:00 (10 min)
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Moderator
Closing remarks
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