Community mobilisation on climate change occurs when members of the community put aside their differences to overcome a common problem or challenge associated with the impacts of climate change. Mobilisation involves discussion, decision-making and participation by members on agreed-upon actions. When women actively participate in community mobilisation and their views are listened to and valued, their empowerment benefits. Gender equality is important in climate change mitigation because co-operation between women and men in agreeing on and implementing national climate policies, programmes or projects increases the chances of success.

Note it!

Community-based initiatives are key to mitigating climate change. While climate change mitigation actions such as providing safe shelters and services for vulnerable people are important, these actions do not address the underlying causes of the disproportionate negative impact of climate change on women and girls. Changing the ways men and women interact in their communities and how they view issues such as balancing power between men and women addresses the root causes.

Highlighting women’s conservation and climate actions

Watch the video Listening to Women: Adapting to Climate Change by the FAO. It shows different ways in which women are working against climate change in agriculture by getting involved in agro-processing and rural tourism in different parts of the world.

Now watch Belize Women in Fisheries Forum 5: Gender and Climate Change Understanding the Link, also by the FAO. It shows how women in fisheries have been drawing attention to the work they do.

Highlighting non-agriculture action for climate actions

Some actions may not seem directly related to climate change but are very impactful in the long run. For example, in Malawi, child marriages are still common, and girls who marry early drop out of school, which means they will have fewer opportunities to have sustainable livelihoods (see World Bank, 2022, for more information). Women with less education and information will not be aware of climate change mitigation opportunities and so obviously will not be able to take advantage of them. Advocacy for reducing child marriages is therefore related to climate change.

The video CAMFED: Girls’ Education and Climate Change by Campaign for Female Education (ICAMFED) shows how education is also important for reducing the impact of climate change on girls.

Finally, the video Gender and Climate Expert Lorena Aguilar by the Georgetown Institute for Women Peace and Security offers hope that there has been some progress in the understanding of the relationship between gender and climate change.

Activity

Can you think of at least three topics that should be discussed at a community meeting on climate change?

Reading

World Bank. (2022). Breaking the cycle of reduced economic opportunities for Malawi’s women and girls. https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/malawi/publication/breaking-the-cycle-of-reduced-economic-opportunities-for-malawi-s-women-and-girls