Report Summary: Gender, Climate & Security: Sustaining Inclusive Peace on the Frontlines of Climate Change
Publisher: United Nations Environment Programme, UN Women, UNDP, and UNDPPA/PBSO
Date: 2020
Topics: Climate Change, Conflict Causes, Conflict Prevention, Gender, Governance, Humanitarian Assistance, Land, Livelihoods
In many regions of the world, the impacts of climate change are exacerbating conditions that threaten peace and security. Rising temperatures, extended droughts, or heavier, harsher storms are resulting in loss of livelihoods, increasing competition over scarce resources and fueling migration and displacement. Gender norms and power structures play a critical role in determining how women and men of different backgrounds are impacted by – and respond to – such crises. Pre-existing inequalities, gender-related roles and expectations, and unequal access to resources can deepen inequality and leave some groups disproportionately vulnerable.
In his 2019 Report on Women, Peace and Security, the UN Secretary-General declared an “urgent need” for better analysis of the linkages between climate change and conflict from a gender perspective. Understanding the gender dimensions of climate-related security risks is not only key to avoiding exacerbating vulnerabilities, but also to uncovering new entry points for advancing gender equality, improving climate resilience and sustaining peace.