Nairobi, 24 April 2019: Climate change threatens livelihoods and security of communities and, the different roles and responsibilities of women and men means they are impacted differently by the various climate change interventions. Women in developing countries remain highly vulnerable to climate change because they are highly dependent on natural resources for their livelihoods, exacerbating gender inequalities as women continue to face loss of land, livelihoods and security as climate change impacts increase. At the same time, women are powerful agents of change as they play important roles in core sectors affected by climate change and are therefore well-placed to identify and adopt appropriate adaptation strategies and mitigation techniques.

To advance collaboration between national governments and other stakeholders in tackling climate change, UNDP together with Government of Kenya is hosting in Nairobi, 17 countries (Bhutan, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, Cote D’Ivoire, Ecuador, Ghana, Guatemala, Kenya, Lebanon, Nepal, Philippines, Paraguay, Peru, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia)  that are mainstreaming gender equality in their national climate actions and strategies in promoting gender equality and women’s leadership in national climate action. The three-day participatory and interactive Global Gender Workshop on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Planning for Implementation will provide an opportunity for sharing of experiences, lessons learned and way forward on gender-responsive NDC planning and implementation, with the aim of influencing institutional frameworks and coordination mechanisms, sectoral and national planning, and implementation of climate change policies.

At the opening of the workshop, The Chief Administrative Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Hon. Mohamed Elmi noted that, “The integration of gender issues in our NDC will ensure gender responsive NDC actions that will lead to the rapid achievement of our long-term development vision as well as contributing to the global climate goals and SDGs. We need women, men and youth to act together. Nobody should be left behind.”

As a convener, UNDP excels at bringing together stakeholders – representatives from governments, partner agencies, CSOs, other UN organizations, the academia and the private sector – to drive discussions on climate and development solutions. UNDP’s NDC Support Programme is currently piloting the integration of gender equality considerations into countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and climate action plans for the Paris Agreement. As an on-going process, review of countries’ climate action plans provides a valuable entry point for integrating gender equality considerations, through identification of gender data gaps, improvement of coordination mechanisms and development of gender indicators.

“We are presented with an enormous opportunity to share knowledge and ideas of how we can tackle climate change inclusively and from a gender perspective. UNDP is committed to the development of ideas that help to address climate change and gender equality at the national level and through the implementation of NDCs, not only will partners ensure inclusive and successful outcomes, but also work towards the advancement gender equality and acceleration of sustainable development for all.” Ms. Amanda Serumaga, UNDP Resident Representative a.i

At the end of this gathering, participants are expected to enhance peer to peer learning about key opportunities and challenges on integrating gender equality into NDC planning and implementation from several national contexts while simultaneously strengthening partnerships; increase understanding of relevant entry points to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment into the NDCs process going forward; and improve understanding of the NDC and SDGs nexus to increase climate change ambition and broader development outcomes.

Note to the editors:

As one of UNDP’s flagship programmes, the NDC Support Programme is helping countries advance integrated climate and development solutions through the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The programme was launched in 2017 at the UN Climate Summit (COP23), by UNDP, together with the European Union and the Governments of Germany and Spain. The programme is implemented in contribution to the NDC Partnership.

The mission of the NDC Support Programme is to bring about a real and positive change for living and future generations by advancing ambitious progress towards resilient, zero carbon development.

We work with countries to achieve transformational development progress by scaling up action on climate change. Specifically, countries will use their NDCs as a tool for transitioning to a climate-resilient, zero-carbon pathway which will help them lock in adequate sustainable infrastructures to meet the complex economic, societal and planetary needs of the 21st century.

The programme supports countries on eliminating barriers to this ambitious transition, in particular by formulating a systemic, integrated approach through governance and policy frameworks, inclusive leadership, transparency systems, blended climate finance and implementation of NDC objectives.

We currently serve 40 countries directly and have the opportunity to share our expertise with many more through our work with partners or global and regional events.

For more information contact:

Nilay Tuncok nilay.tuncok@undp.org

Candida Rodriguez candida.rodriguez@undp.org