1.
IIED WORKSHOP: GENDER AND
ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE,
London, 17-18 March 2014
GENDER IN
ENVIRONMENTAL
CHANGE – nine
myths, processes
and power
relations
Irene Dankelman 17 March 2014 IRDANA / University of
Nijmegen,
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2.
Myths – processes – power relations
Myth 1: Comments
 Environmental Change =
Climate Change
 Broad spectrum of
- slow-onset and sudden -
environmental changes.
 Climate change tends to
increase existing changes.
 Dominant, but not only
socio-ecological challenge.
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3.
Myths – processes – power relations
Myth 2 Comments
 Climate change is gender-
neutral – affecting men
and women (in different
locations) equally.
 Power dimensions and
related societal positions
and interactions very much
shape how CC is created,
how it impacts and how it is
prevented and remedied.
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4.
Myths - processes – power relations
Myth 4 Comments
 Gender in CC should focus
on women’s positions.
 Men’s positions are
as/also important.
 And certainly power
relations between men
and women - in their
specific contexts.
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5.
Myths - processes – power relations
Myth 3 Comments
 Women have a special
relationship with
Nature.
 Not their sex determines
differences in relationship
between women and men and
their physical environment,
but their societal roles.
 Women’s reproductive roles
important factor.
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6.
Myths - processes – power relations
Myth 5 Comments
 Global sisterhood as
important motivator.
 Neglects issues of power
between women and
women’s politics: who
dominates and who is
silenced?
 Who speaks for whom?
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7.
Myths - processes – power relations
Myth 6 Comments
 Climate change
policies and actions
automatically work
out positively for
gender equality.
 Seldom win-win situations!
 CC policies/actions if not
(also) aimed at enhancing
gender equality, tend to
increase existing inequalities.
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8.
Myths - processes – power relations
Myth 7 Comments
 Gender most important
social differentiator in
the context of climate
change.
 There are many other
relevant (contemporary)
differentiators, such as social
status, class, caste, age,
ethnicity, health.
 Need for intersectionality.
 Gender approach eye-
opener for other social
differentiators.
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9.
Myths - processes – power relations
Myth 8 Comments
 Enhancing gender
equality crucial for
efficiency of CC policies,
instruments and actions.
 Enhancing gender equality
and women’s empowerment
is aim at its own (human
right) and not (only)
instrumental towards
environmental cause.
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10.
Myths - processes – power relations
Myth 9 Comments
 Partipation of equal
numbers of women in CC
decision-making is the
best step to make policies
and actions gender-
sensitive.
 Certainly not the only (and
best) step, as it is important
to unpack underlying causes
of inequalities.
 Address: social exclusion, lack
of access to and control over
resources, lack of assets (incl.
control over technologies)
and (economic) opportunities
(incl. incomes).
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11.
From: Action Aid Bangladesh
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12.
Myths - processes – power relations
MANY REMAINING ISSUES – DILEMMA’s
 Vulnerabilities – Capacities
 Adaptation – Mitigation
 Coping mechanisms - Adaptation
 Public – Private Sector
 SD – Greenwashing
 CCA – DRR
 Global policies – Local livelihoods
 etc etc etc
 THANK YOU!
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