Malawi, the European Union (EU), Costa Rica and United Nations (UN) Women have agreed to mainstream gender in climate-related policies and action at all levels.
The three parties made the commitment as the TN Framework Convention on climate Change (UNFCCC) 24th Conference of the Parties commemorated Gender Day on Tuesday. This means their commitment will, along with other commitments, help the parties advance implementation of the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals 5 and 6.
Speaking during the For All Coalition Panel discussion on the promotion of gender equality and human rights in multilateral agreements on the environment, Chief Director for Environment and Climate Change in the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining, Bright Kumwembe, said the coalition would ensure that they have a collective approach to integrating gender into climate change policy. “This initiative is important to Malawi as it is a significant milestone for a country that believes in the importance of gender equality and gender-responsive policies in climate action,” Kumwembe said.
He said, at global level, Malawi, in collaboration with countries such as Costa Rica, would to support the goal of gender balance, women empowerment and integration of gender under the UNFCCC. EU Adviser on Climate Change and Global Issues, Pascal Delisle, said the initiative is one of the ambitious actions that could make a difference in the world.
Costa Rica’s Minister of Environment and Energy, Manual Rodriguez, said the coalition is a milestone as gender-responsiveness is critical to effective policy implementation. Early this year, Natural Resources, Energy and Mining Minister, Aggrey Masi, endorsed Costa Rica’s invitation for Malawi to joing the For All Coalition on Gender Equality aimed at enhancing the presence of gender-responsive clauses in multilateral environment-related agreements.