In South Asia, a changing climate could diminish living conditions for up to 800 million people in a region that already has some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable populations.

Women and children experience disproportionate impacts of climate change as a result of structural barriers and cultural norms, which hinder access for these vulnerable groups to rights, resources, and representation in climate action.

Vulnerable communities, especially children and women, will require actions from design to implementation and accountability by both public and private actors. Women and children must have appropriate access to rights, resources, and representation, when experiencing and addressing the climate crisis in the region.

While women and men have diverse capacities and contribute differently to adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk management, women’s participation is critical to family and community survival, and makes climate action more effective.

Women must be represented in decision-making at all levels in order to be able to implement innovative and sustainable responses and solutions to the environmental challenges that arise. Capacity building in strengthening managerial skills, decision making, access to agroecology, agroforestry and renewable energies, will enable women to develop sustainable climate resilience.

Mainstreaming gender considerations in climate actions would help developing economies in the South Asian region in optimising development benefits, and reduce costs while assisting in simultaneous implementation of activities to meet the global 1.5℃ target of Article 2 of the Paris Agreement.

Therefore, a gender and child rights-based response is required.

Project objectives

Build capacity of CANSA partners to incorporate, strengthen and amplify the voices of women and children, and provide solutions to mainstreaming gender and child rights in climate action at the country level in the South Asian region.

Assess the state of gender and child inclusion in national-level climate change policies, as well as analysing four climate-affected sectors – agriculture, forest, water, and energy (with a focus on renewable energy), among others. The sectors were chosen based on their importance to livelihoods and their high sensitivity to climate change impacts. Information for the assessment was gathered from national policy documents and reports. The assessment covers four countries in South Asia – Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka.

Activities/Deliverables

• Workshops and focus group discussions to build capacity of CANSA partners to incorporate, strengthen and amplify the voice of children at regional and sub-regional forums.
• Publish reports on inclusion of child and gender in climate change policies and amplified their key messages through social media together with partners.
• Identify partners and process for documentation and sharing of good practices employed by CSOs to ensure inclusive, gender sensitive and transformative policies, practices, systems, budgets and services for children’s rights.
• Document best practices, amplify best practices through social media.

Intended Impact

• CANSA partners sensitised to the need to strengthen and amplify the voice of children at regional and sub-regional forums.
• CSO partners, including youth, shared prevailing gendered issues faced by girls, boys, and non-binary children during capacity-building activities in order to address the gender gaps and promote rights amongst children.
• Inclusion of gender-sensitive and transformative policies, practices, systems, budgets and services for children’s rights, in all climate change policies in the South Asian region.

Contact Person

Ruchi Chaudhary (ruchi@cansouthasia.net) Rushati Das (rushati@cansouthasia.net)