Abstract:
The effects of climate change can cause
a
great
impact
on
human
being
s
.
Over the next decade
,
the
United
Nations
Framework
Convention
on
Climate Change (UNFCCC, 2007) predicts billions of people, hailing
particularly from developing countries, such as Bangladesh, will face
acute water and food crisis, as well as
major
health risks as a result of
climate change, which consequently will po
se a threat to economic
progress and human security in a multifaceted manner.
Bangladesh
experiences a wide array of natural disasters almost every year as a result
of climate change which includes: floods, cyclones and storm surges,
salinity intrusion, ex
treme temperature, and droughts. In the span of the
last 28 years (19880
-
2008) Bangladesh has experienced 219 natural
disasters, causing a total damage of US$ 16 billion (UNDP, 2015). One of the fundamental factors in shaping
the
relationship
between
people and the environment is gender. The impacts of climate change
affect men and women differently. In Bangladesh, gender inequalities,
power dynamics and access to information make women especially those
with lower
socioeconomic
status vulnerable to cli
matic impacts as it
limits their ability to respond and adapt to disaster and climate change.
The Government of Bangladesh (GoB) gives high priority to finding
solutions to climate change through a
gendered
approach. However, a
large body of empirical stud
ies that attempts to integrate a gender
perspective to promote gender
equality
fails
to acknowledge relationships
between women and men and how it influences vulnerability. The workshop on
Mainstreaming Gender in International and
National Climate Change
Policy and Program
focused on an in
-
depth
analysis of gender
-
climate links that can better inform climate policy in
Bangladesh as well as internationally. Building on unique proficiencies
of researchers, policy makers and practitioners
,
the workshop aimed
to
deconstruct popular assumptions about women‟s vulnerability in relation
to men‟s by discussing how social and economic factors determine men
and women‟s vulnerability to climate change. WORKSHOP ON MAINSTRE
AMING GENDER IN INTE
RNATIONAL AND NATION
AL CLIMATE CHANGE
POLICY AND PROGRAM
4
The workshop on
Mainstreaming Gender in International and
National Climate Change
Policy and Program
focused on an in
-
depth
analysis of gender
-
climate links that can better inform climate policy in
Bangladesh as well as internationally. Building on unique proficiencies
of researchers, policy makers and practitioners
,
the workshop aimed
to
deconstruct popular assumptions about women‟s vulnerability in relation
to men‟s by discussing how social and economic factors determine men
and women‟s vulnerability to climate change.
I hope the readers of the workshop report will find in it a valuab
le source
in fostering better understanding of gender
-
climate link to advocate and
formulate gender sensitive policies and programs.
I would like to thank the participants of the workshop for sparing time in
attending this workshop despite their busy sched
ule and enriching the
workshop outcome. EWUCRT Staff and the rapporteurs Ms. Rubayat
Kabir and Mr
Shahriar
Khandaker of Social Relations Department
deserve my deepest appreciation for their support and cooperation, Dr.
Sardana
Islam,
Deputy
Executive
Direc
tor
of
EWUCRT
deserves
appreciation
for
her untiring support and cooperation in
providing logistical support. I would also like to thank Ms. Aynun Nahar
for giving the final shape of this report.
Mr. Shafiqur
Rahman deserves
appreciation for English editin
g of the manuscript.