A number of observers drew attention to the gender imbalance at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations’ Framework Convention on Climate Change (30 November–12 December 2015). The United Nations’ Special Envoy on Climate Change, Mary Robinson, remarked, for instance, that the underrepresentation of women at the conference was detrimental to taking action to save people from the ravages of climate change (1). The lack of balance is confirmed by the latest UNESCO Science Report, as are gender differences in the ability to cope with climate change-induced shocks.
Released on 10 November 2015, the UNESCO Science Report: towards 2030 observes that ‘women are not represented equally in the key climate-change related sectors of science as skilled workers, professionals or decision-makers. Although they are fairly well represented in some related science disciplines – including health, agriculture and environmental management – they are very much a minority in other fields that will be vital for the transition to sustainable development, such as energy, engineering, transportation, information technology (IT) and computing – the latter being important for warning systems, information-sharing and environmental monitoring.’
‘Even in those scientific fields where women are present, they are underrepresented in policy-making and programming’, observes the report. ‘The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is a case in point. In this country, women are well-represented in governmental decision-making structures related to climate change, such as energy and transportation, environment and health services. They are also comparatively well-represented in related scientific disciplines. Many of them serve on the National Climate Change Committee. However, when it comes to designing and implementing plans, interpreting decisions and monitoring results, women are a rare commodity.’
Moreover, ‘since men tend to enjoy a higher socio-economic status, women are disproportionately affected by droughts, floods and other extreme weather events and marginalized when it comes to making decisions on recovery and adaptation,’ states the report. ‘Some economic sectors will be strongly affected by climate change but women and men will not necessarily be affected in the same way. In the tourism sector, for instance, women in developing countries tend to earn less than their male counterparts and occupy fewer managerial positions. They are also overrepresented in the non-agricultural informal sector: 84% in sub-Saharan Africa, 86% in Asia and 58% in Latin America. There are, thus, clear gender differences in the ability to cope with climate change-induced shocks.’
The report recalls that, ‘as the global community prepares to make the transition from the Millennium Development Goals to the Sustainable Development Goals in 2016, it is turning its attention from a focus on poverty reduction to a broader perspective combining socio-economic and environmental priorities. Over the next 15 years, scientific research will play a key role in monitoring relevant trends in such areas as food security, health, water and sanitation, energy, the management of ocean and terrestrial ecosystems and climate change. Women will play an essential role in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, by helping to identify global problems and find solutions.’
Source: adapted from Huyer, S. (2015) Is the gender gap narrowing in science and engineering? UNESCO Science Report: towards 2030.
Addressing persistent inequalities in science: UNESCO’s solutions
UNESCO works towards providing strong role models for women and girls in science throughout the world, building capacities of women in STEM, as well as supporting and promoting the contributions of women to scientific knowledge generation and dissemination to advance sustainable development.
For instance, since its creation in 1998, the UNESCO-L’Oréal For Women in Science (FWIS) partnership continues to be an outstanding vehicle to celebrate role models from all over the world and to support and inspire women and girls to engage in and pursue scientific careers, while networks such as the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) serve to strengthen dialogue and lessons learned among women in science.
The STEM and Gender Advancement project (SAGA) also aims to contribute to reducing the gender gap by determining, measuring and assessing sex-disaggregated data, as well as undertaking an inventory of policy instruments that affect gender equality in STEM, in order to generate new and improve indicators to support future evidence-based policy making.
In addition, the Sector works to promote women’s participation in high-level processes shaping the science agenda and science policies, thus ensuring that the unique perspectives of women scientists and women knowledge holders are incorporated into solutions to the various challenges – such as climate change, biodiversity loss, freshwater management, health of the oceans, developing green industries and societies – of advancing sustainable and equitable development.
(1) Source: COP21 is too male dominated and has male priorities, says UN special envoy (The Guardian)
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