Intrinsically linked: gender equality, climate and biodiversity
The worldwide climate crisis, loss of biodiversity and continuing gender inequality are intrinsically linked. Solving the climate and biodiversity crises and achieving gender equality must go hand in hand and everyone needs to be involved. Women and girls constitute almost half of the world’s population, but their voices are not sufficiently heard in biodiversity and climate policy. Real change is needed, that tackles unequal power structures and unlimited use of natural resources. The Netherlands has a crucial role to play in this regard.
This paper explains the intrinsic link between climate, biodiversity, and gender equality,
and offers concrete proposals to the Dutch government to implement the following key
recommendations:
- - Ensure that trade, agricultural and investment policies are aligned with the climate goals, international goals, and the Dutch commitment to global gender equality
- - Commit, via Dutch policy and programming, to the meaningful involvement of women and gender equality within decision-making processes during international climate and biodiversity conferences in United Nations (UN) and European Union (EU) agencies
- - Prevent that Dutch international climate policy and programming negatively affects the resilience of ecosystems and populations, and that maintains, or even reinforces, existing power structures and exclusion mechanisms.
- - Make sure that climate finance is accessible to local communities and women, who work on ecosystem conservation and repair, and effective climate initiatives, and work to protect and bolster the efforts of women environmental and land rights activists.
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