Introduction

In this unit you will learn key definitions about gender and be introduced to traditional gender stereotypes and roles. Gender equality is essential for climate change mitigation and community resiliency because women and men have different roles and responsibilities in society and are affected differently by climate change. When women have equal opportunities to participate in decision-making and economic activities, they can contribute to climate change mitigation and community resiliency in meaningful ways.

Outcomes

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:

• describe the importance of gender equality in the context of reducing the suffering of women and children in the face of climate change.

You will explore the following topics:

• • Understanding gender
  • Gender equality
  • The impacts of climate change on women and children

Terminology

Male:  Refers to the biological sex a person is assigned at birth based on the presence of distinctive, sexual reproduction organs that produce sperm.

Female:  Refers to the biological sex a person is assigned at birth based on the presence of distinctive, sexual reproduction organs that produce eggs.

Boy:  A young person who displays the social characteristics and behaviours associated with being male.

Girl:  A young person who displays the social characteristics and behaviours associated with being female.

Woman:  An adult person who displays the social characteristics and behaviours associated with being female.

Man:  An adult person who displays the social characteristics and behaviours associated with being male.

Gender:  Social characteristics and behaviours that boys, girls, women and men are expected to display. These characteristics and behaviours relate to how they are expected to dress, act and speak, and what activities they engage in.

Masculine characteristics are generally associated with male people. For example, aggressive, protective and risk-taking. Boys are expected to be tough. Men are expected to make decisions for the household and the man’s role is to provide for and support his family. The man is usually not expected to show too many emotions, but to be detached and objective in his decision-making.

Feminine characteristics are generally associated with female people. For example, gentleness, caring and emotional. Girls are expected to play with dolls. Many societies expect women to wear dresses and not to wear trousers. Some societies also expect women to cover their heads, faces or both.

Resources:  Things that we need to survive and to live well — for example, water, air and land (natural resources); skills and knowledge (human resources); and financial resources.

We use resources to meet our basic needs (food, water, shelter, clothing and healthcare), produce or manufacture goods and services, and build and maintain our communities.

Access:  Having the opportunity, means, rights or permission to use or benefit from resources or services.

Gender equality:  Men and women have equal value, rights and access to resources, opportunities and benefits. People of both sexes are equally free to pursue whatever career they wish without discrimination, and everyone is valued and respected.

Gender equity:  Fair treatment of people so that everyone can have equal access to opportunities, resources and benefits, based on the recognition that people have different needs, experiences, abilities, challenges and status based on gender.

Livelihoods:  How a person makes a living to meet their basic needs such as food, water, shelter, clothes, medicine, sanitary products, books and school supplies, and agricultural inputs for farming.

Sustainable livelihoods:   Ways of earning a living that meet the needs of the current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

A livelihood is sustainable when it can withstand the stress and shocks of adverse environmental and economic circumstances.

Climate change:  The long-term changes in typical weather patterns. Climate change causes weather patterns to be less predictable, temperatures to be lower or higher than average, and more frequent and severe weather events, such as storms, floods and droughts.

Climate change is caused by burning fossil fuels, deforestation and agriculture activities. These activities all release greenhouse gases, which trap heat and warm the planet, into the atmosphere.

Conservation:  Natural climate change solutions designed to restore or improve the ecosystem while maintaining the capacity to absorb and store carbon from the atmosphere.

Resilience:  The ability of an individual or community to withstand or quickly recover from adverse circumstances and to adapt to adversity.