Adaptation, Gender and Women's Empowerment: CARE International Climate Change Brief

This brief on gender and climate change was published by CARE International's Poverty, Environment and Climate Change Network (PECCN). It explains questions relating to CARE’s approach to adaptation, which begins with a comprehensive analysis that includes an examination of differential vulnerability due to social, political, and economic inequalities. This assessment helps tailor adaptation strategies to specific needs, capacities and priorities of impact groups, such as economically poor women.

Questions and some answers from the document include the following:

• Why is gender important in climate change adaptation?
• How does gender influence vulnerability to climate change? A chart on page 2 shows an analysis of roles, resources, and power in categories of "women", "men", and "links to climate change vulnerability."
• How does CARE incorporate gender-transformative activities in adaptation strategies? "For CARE, adaptation that incorporates gender transformative activities:
  • Is based on a comprehensive, participatory and gender-sensitive analysis of vulnerability to climate change (including the social, economic and political determinants of vulnerability);
    
  • Recognises differential vulnerability within countries, communities and households; and it targets adaptation strategies accordingly;
    
  • Builds on the existing knowledge and capacities of men, women, boys and girls;
    
  • Aims to empower vulnerable women and girls to build their adaptive capacity;
    
  • Is planned and implemented with the participation of both women and men, including the most vulnerable groups in the community;
    
  • Promotes adaptation policies and programmes at local, national and international levels that meet the specific needs of poor women and men;
    
  • Supports men and women to access the resources, rights and opportunities they need to adapt to their changing environment; and
    
  • Promotes gender equality as a long-term goal."
    
• How can CARE apply a women’s empowerment framework to incorporate gender-transformative activities in adaptation policies and programmes?
  
• CARE’s women’s empowerment framework and climate change adaptation. This is diagrammed on page 4 and consists of examples of how to address relations, agency, and structure.
  
• Women’s empowerment in CARE’s adaptation work. The document gives examples of women’s empowerment in CARE’s adaptation work in Tajikistan, Bangladesh, and Ghana.