Governance and Institutional Structure of Climate Change in Egypt
53
therefore, also failed to ensure optimal implementation. Gender disparities remain
among the deepest and most pervasive of all inequalities and hinder the best of
development efforts profoundly [9].
Since climate change affects women and men differently, a gender perspective is
essential to the formulation of effective policy development around mitigation and
adaptation. The Egyptian government is aware of this angle and see options to address
the challenge through, for example, the role of women in producers’ organizations
and cooperatives. This alignment is in fact necessary given that the Article 40 of the
Egyptian Constitution mandates the equal rights of all citizens.
National Strategy for Mainstreaming Gender in Climate Change in Egypt was
developed as a result of a partnership between different civil society organizations,
key national institutions as well as regional and international agencies. The strategy acknowledges the need to bring the diverse roles, needs and contributions of
women and men to the fore in the sustainable development agenda. Rather than
merely adding women’s participation onto existing strategies and programmes post
facto, it aims to mainstream gender goals in order to transform unequal social and
institutional structures by recognizing the promotion of gender equality as a central
driving principle. The strategy is the result of a series of inputs, including interviews
with policymakers, stakeholder consultations, research, and a stakeholder workshop.
It was drafted on the basis on an analysis of the current national priorities concerning
climate change that prioritized topics of key importance, which were water resources,
agriculture and coastal zones [10].
Furthermore, gender was not considered in either the Initial National Communication (INC) or the Second National Communication (SNC) produced by the
Government of Egypt for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC). The EEAA is, however, planning to include gender as a crosscutting theme in the Third National Communication (TNC). In particular, the TNC
recommended:
• The inclusion of gender perspectives into disaster reduction efforts at the local,
regional and national levels, including in policies, strategies, action plans, and
programmes. As well as, increase their participation and representation at all levels
of the decision-making process;
• The analysis of climate change data such as drought, floods, or desertification from
a gender-sensitive perspective, including the traditional knowledge and perspectives of women in the analysis and evaluation of the characteristics of key disaster
risks;
• The assurance that women can be visible agents of change at all levels of disaster preparedness, including early warning systems, education, communication,
information and advocacy;
• The building of the capacity of national and local women’s groups and provide
them with a platform to be heard;
• The inclusion of gender-specific indicators to monitor and track progress on gender
equality targets.
53
therefore, also failed to ensure optimal implementation. Gender disparities remain
among the deepest and most pervasive of all inequalities and hinder the best of
development efforts profoundly [9].
Since climate change affects women and men differently, a gender perspective is
essential to the formulation of effective policy development around mitigation and
adaptation. The Egyptian government is aware of this angle and see options to address
the challenge through, for example, the role of women in producers’ organizations
and cooperatives. This alignment is in fact necessary given that the Article 40 of the
Egyptian Constitution mandates the equal rights of all citizens.
National Strategy for Mainstreaming Gender in Climate Change in Egypt was
developed as a result of a partnership between different civil society organizations,
key national institutions as well as regional and international agencies. The strategy acknowledges the need to bring the diverse roles, needs and contributions of
women and men to the fore in the sustainable development agenda. Rather than
merely adding women’s participation onto existing strategies and programmes post
facto, it aims to mainstream gender goals in order to transform unequal social and
institutional structures by recognizing the promotion of gender equality as a central
driving principle. The strategy is the result of a series of inputs, including interviews
with policymakers, stakeholder consultations, research, and a stakeholder workshop.
It was drafted on the basis on an analysis of the current national priorities concerning
climate change that prioritized topics of key importance, which were water resources,
agriculture and coastal zones [10].
Furthermore, gender was not considered in either the Initial National Communication (INC) or the Second National Communication (SNC) produced by the
Government of Egypt for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC). The EEAA is, however, planning to include gender as a crosscutting theme in the Third National Communication (TNC). In particular, the TNC
recommended:
• The inclusion of gender perspectives into disaster reduction efforts at the local,
regional and national levels, including in policies, strategies, action plans, and
programmes. As well as, increase their participation and representation at all levels
of the decision-making process;
• The analysis of climate change data such as drought, floods, or desertification from
a gender-sensitive perspective, including the traditional knowledge and perspectives of women in the analysis and evaluation of the characteristics of key disaster
risks;
• The assurance that women can be visible agents of change at all levels of disaster preparedness, including early warning systems, education, communication,
information and advocacy;
• The building of the capacity of national and local women’s groups and provide
them with a platform to be heard;
• The inclusion of gender-specific indicators to monitor and track progress on gender
equality targets.