Gender review of climate change legislative and policy frameworks and strategies in East Africa

Abstract

Climate change is currently acknowledged as one of the pressing global threats to the
environment and humanity. This threat has moved the global community to take action on
adaptation and mitigation efforts to cushion its devastating effects. Cognizance has been taken
of the disproportionate impact that climate change poses to women and other vulnerable
groups. The various legislative, policy and strategic frameworks on climate change available
at the global and regional level is a tacit acknowledgement of the seriousness of the problem
and the role of women in adaptation and mitigation strategies. For instance, through several of
its decisions, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has included a
focus on addressing women’s rights and gender equality with respect to climate change
mitigation and adaptation strategies. In Africa, the African Union is committed to addressing
climate change issues with a gender perspective. Consequently, African countries have
formulated their respective climate change policies, strategies and action plans as well as
green growth and low carbon strategies aimed at integrating climate change considerations
into development and sectoral plans with a gendered perspective. Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania
and Ethiopia are among the East African States, which have followed suit by responding to
the African Union commitments to the course by developing several legislative and policy
frameworks to aid the course addressing climate change.

The focus of this paper is to establish whether these frameworks are in accordance with
international and regional frameworks on climate change in addressing gender-specific
impacts of climate change in the areas of climate-smart agriculture, food security, water,
health, human rights and security. This paper, therefore, reviews climate change related
policies and strategies in East Africa through a gendered lens. The countries whose legislative
and policy frameworks are in focus include: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia. The
study assesses how these countries have integrated gender in their climate change legislation,
policies and strategies to support the vulnerable while addressing climate change.

Findings show that all four countries include gender terms within their various policies,
programs and plans. All the documents reviewed indicted that they were drafted after a
gender analysis on climate risks, impacts and vulnerability. Furthermore, all the documents
identified gender, vulnerable groups and youth as the target groups most vulnerable to the
impacts of climate change and mentioned the inclusion of gender responsive monitoring and
evaluation systems. The documents also included gender mainstreaming and supported the
enhancement of education, training and capacity building for women. Despite this, none of
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the documents mention direct benefits to women and youth or budget allocations for gender
specific actions.

In all the policies and plans, women are identified in particular instances as being greatly
involved in agriculture and food production and at the forefront of innovations and projects
addressing climate change. Most of the frameworks generalised the issue of training and
institutional strengthening. There is generally no capacity within existing government
departments to consider gender in climate response activities. It is thus pertinent that the
frameworks consider building the capacity of gender focal points in all relevant institutions to
incorporate gender issues in all climate change responses. This is to ensure that institutions
not only deal exclusively with gender are women and children, but that this role will also be
considered in every other department.