CSW66 Side Event - Women’s and girls’ empowerment: Key to equitable food systems in a changing climate?

Climate change affects women and men differently. Women are often stereotyped as victims of the impacts of climate change, but the root causes of gender inequalities that cause vulnerability are ignored. Women in agriculture are extremely vulnerable in hot spots where climate change manifests, women are highly engaged in agriculture, and gender inequalities are significant.

A review of literature and approaches from four regions  (East and West Africa, South and Southeast Asia), identified four critical dimensions for achieving gender equality in climate-resilient agriculture:

1. Ensuring women participate in decision-making at all levels
2. Reducing women’s work burden
3. Providing women with access to and supporting their use of resources, such as agroclimatic information, technology, livelihood incomes and credit
4. Supporting collective action.

These four dimensions need to be considered by decision-makers, implementers, researchers, and farmers when taking steps to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

The CGIAR GENDER Platform, the Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to the United Nations and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Zambia to the United Nations together with partners  (working on gender in agriculture) will host a side event on the margins of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66) under the theme of climate change. The event will engage policy makers, development practitioners, funders, gender specialists and leaders in the work of promoting gender equality to achieve climate-resilient, sustainable, productive food systems for all.

Register here

Part A: Opening and keynote speakers

• H.E. Ms. Rabab Fatima, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to the United Nations
• Dr. Nicoline de Haan, Director CGIAR GENDER Platform 
• Prof.  Saleemul Huq, Director, International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) 
• Dr. Agnes Kalibata,  Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) President and 2021 UNFSS Special Envoy

Part B: Lessons from the field

• Ms. Runa Khan,  Founder and Executive Director at Friendship
• Dr. Ranjitha Puskur, Evidence Module Leader, Gender Research Coordinator CGIAR GENDER Platform
• Ms. Beatrice Phiri,  Founder, Friends of Nature

Part C: Conclusion and closing remarks

- H.E. Mr. Ngosa Simbyakula, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Zambia to the United Nations (TBC)

Moderated by:

- Vivian Atakos, Global Engagement and Policy, CGIAR GENDER Platform. 

Register here