Women empowerment in climate change response needs strengthening: Conference ​

Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese women have played an increasingly important role in production and business activities, according to a conference in Hanoi on November 9. They have also adapted well to climate change and helped to mitigate the impacts of natural disasters.

At the event, experts affirmed that women have played a pioneering role in climate change response and mitigation. They advised Vietnam to continue to promote women-led initiatives to empower members of the fair sex in vulnerable regions and sectors, while increasing their engagement in the workplace.

Gender stereotypes remain

Speaking at the event, Vice President of the Vietnamese Women Union (VWU) Nguyen Thi Minh Huong stressed that climate change has become one of the greatest challenges to the living environment and the future of humankind.

So far, gender equality and climate change have received great attention as issues with close relations. Gender equality is the target and the method of this approach to climate change. However, there are still preconceptions about the role and capacity of women in natural disasters as well as climate change response, Huong said.

According to her, both women and men need to be considered not only the victims of climate change and natural disasters, but also positive factors that create change. This change can be achieved by actively engaging in natural disaster management and effective cultivation at the household level in the form of ensuring food and nutrition security. Plans, strategies, and national commitments must be implemented to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural sector.

Sharing Huong’s opinions, Dinh Thu Hang, Director of the Centre for Environment and Community Research (CECR), said that gender equality and climate change have been major components of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP) agenda since 2013. At COP25 in 2019 in Spain, countries adopted the 5-year Lima Work Programme on Gender by implementing a robust Gender Action Plan (GAP).

The plan underlined that gender equality is a necessary condition for countries to implement their national response plan and nationally determined contributions (NDCs). It also offered a chance for countries to raise ideas on the promotion of gender equality as well as the enhancement of women’s role in response to climate change and the mitigation of natural disaster risks.

According to Hang, although Vietnamese women have played an important role in production, business activities, and climate change response, many researchers have pointed out that the involvement of women has faced many barriers in technology, capacity, communications and finance. She stressed that women have encountered difficulties in accessing information, financial resources and opportunities to learn about methods of climate change response.

Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

Hang underscored that the implementation of policies such as the NDC is an important premise to create favourable conditions for women to engage in climate change response and mitigation. It will help them optimise their role in adapting to climate change through creative production and business models.

Women empowerment needed

The CECR leader affirmed that in the time to come, the centre will continue to coordinate with organisations to strengthen and promote women’s involvement in gender and climate change integrated activities. It will focus on the protection of water resources and waste management.

Particularly, the centre and the Network of Pioneering Women in Climate Change Adaptation will speed up the implementation of women-led initiatives to empower women in vulnerable economic regions and sectors. It will also strengthen their voice and engagement in climate change response, she said.

Gaelle Demolis, UN Women Acting Chief Representative in Vietnam, said that the UN Women will actively support Vietnamese State agencies and women organisations to improve their capacity in integrating gender equality into climate change response and increase women’s access to sustainable alternative livelihood./.