Maggie Sotyu, the Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, stated that inclusive economic growth is essential to address gender inequality. She said that women are the most at risk from the impacts of climate change.
Sotyu stated this during Tuesday’s National Assembly sitting on International Women’s Day.
She said that women are becoming more susceptible to climate change impacts than men, as they make up the majority the poorest people on the planet and are more dependent on natural resource which climate change poses the greatest threat.
She stated that inclusive economic growth was crucial to address poverty-related issues such as unemployment, gender equality, and health.
Sotyu stated that the government’s National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy was approved by the Senate in 2020. It outlines plans to reduce these vulnerabilities and outlines how they will be addressed.
She stated that the strategy identifies opportunities and provides resources to support such action. The strategy also demonstrates progress in climate change adaptation.
“It also lists the set objections and interventions to allow the country to express its commitment to the Paris Agreement.
She stated that the strategy’s guiding principle was to encourage women’s participation, to take into consideration gender differences and vulnerability to climate change, and to address the needs and priorities for both children and women.
Sotyu stated that the years 2020-2021 have set new records for extreme weather events in the world, with extreme weather more common, intense, and widespread than in previous years.
She also stated that climate change impacts and vulnerability to biodiversity loss are closely linked to gender. Therefore, all sustainability interventions and responses must consider gender issues if they are going to achieve their goals.
“We also promote the integration of gender issues into disaster-related programmes, including the requiring and promoting the generation of gender disaggregated information and analysis, as well as the monitoring and evaluation the specific impact these events have had on women and girls.
“Furthermore, our department has developed a strategy towards gender mainstreaming in the environment 2016-2021 – the first of such sector strategy in the country – to provide strategic guidance for gender mainstreaming in the environment sector. This sector initiative is intended to support the creation policies that support gender analysis and mainstreaming in the development of new projects, and include gender perspective into the project cycle management.
(With Inputs From South African Government Press Release