Climate change and gender: Economic empowerment of women through climate mitigation and adaptation

Abstract

This discussion paper asserts that the discourse on climate change does not pay adequate attention to women, either at the local project level or in international negotiations. It attempts to describe the potential that lies in climate mitigation and adaptation for the economic empowerment of women. It intends to discuss the aspects to be considered in order to enhance economic empowerment with the help of mitigation and adaptation measures and to contribute to the genuine advancement of gender equality as against merely cementing existing roles. Economic empowerment is argued to include access to education and training; access to and control over productive resources, including access to land and ownership rights; acess to services; access to markets and financial services; and the ability to generate income using one's own labor.