CONCEPTS OF GENDER AND
CLIMATE CHANGE
FACILITATOR:
OMENO W. SUJI
GRACIA GARDENS HOTEL, NAIROBI
22-24, April, 2013
Buzz Group Question
Write an incident in
your life that first
made you aware of
your gender / sex
 Discuss with
partners and share
with us

Plenary
Which aspects of the
story were gender,
and which were sex
related? Why?

1. What IS GENDER?

Gender can be defined as the
process of the SOCIETY assigning
different roles and responsibilities to
men, women, youth and vulnerable
groups.
How Does Society Do this?
Socialization processes – home, school,
religion, media
 Legal system – constitutions, laws and
policies; e.g. Constitution of Kenya under
the Bill of Rights: Ch 4. Sec 27 (3) Women and men

have the right to equal treatment, including the right to equal opportunities in political,
economic, cultural and social spheres.

81. b) not more than two-thirds of the members of elective public bodies shall be of the same gender;

National Gender and Development Policy (2000):The overall objective of the Gender and
Development Policy is to facilitate the mainstreaming of the needs and concerns of men and
women in all areas in the development process in the country

Cultural practices – songs, certain
expectations for men, women
Sex versus Gender
SEX

A FACT OF HUMAN BIOLOGY
◦ It is the Biological difference between men
and women
◦ Sex differences are concerned with men’s and
women’s bodies.
Sex versus Gender
 Gender
Is culture-specific.
 Is NOT biological.
 Our gender identity determines how we
are perceived, and how we are expected
to think and act as women and men.

TO SUMMARISE
SEX
GENDER
Natural
Cultural
Inborn
Acquired
Doesn’t change to the extent of Is Dynamic
performing sex roles
Is God given
Is taught by society through
social institutions
Is Universal
Is Culture Specific
SOME generalized Sexual
Differences
MEN
Have deep Voices
Have flat chests
Grow beards
Are
able
impregnate
WOMEN
Have soft voices
Have Breasts
Have smooth hairless
faces
to CONCIEVE AND Give
birth
SOCIALLY ASSIGNED GENDER ROLES
FOR MEN AND WOMEN
MEN
WOMEN
PROVIDE SECURITY
LEAD
BECAUSE
THEY
NATURAL LEADERS
Fetch water for domestic use
AND COOK
ARE FOLLOW BECAUSE THEY
SHY AND EMOTIONAL
DRIVE AND HANDLE MACHINES
ARE
DO SECRETARIAL AND PA (SOFT
ROLES)
OWN LAND, LIVESTOCK AND Women
HAVE
OTHER PHYSICAL ASSETS
CANNOT OWN
ACCESS
BUT
GENDER RELATED TERMS
1. Patriarchy:

The elevation of men and the demeaning of women,
resulting in the oppression of women.

Values in a patriarchal society are male-centered and
what is masculine is believed to be the ideal and thus
superior.

The opposite of such a situation is Matriarchy in which
the female gender and especially the mother is supreme
and men are oppressed.
GENDER RELATED TERMS
2. Gender Stereotypes
 A way of thinking about a certain category of
people that may either be negative or positive.
 It is used over time to create a certain mental
picture.
 Men or women are depicted generally as good or
bad . In most cases it is the image of women that is
often negated whereas masculinity is exalted and
given positive images.
 [ What are some stereotypes about women and men in our societies]
GENDER RELATED TERMS
3. Gender Equity: Fairness, giving extra
attention to a certain category of people that
has faced obstacles and constraints. When one
addresses the obstacles , you are able to raise
the affected group of people to a higher level
and thus the playing ground is leveled. The
actions you take to address the disparities are
called Affirmative Actions
GENDER RELATED TERMS
4. Gender Balance:
Have the same number of men and
women represented.
[This equal presence in numbers does not always solve the gender
related problems. As such it is always advisable for an intervener to
address the Equity issues before fighting for the equal
representation.]
GENDER RELATED TERMS
5. Gender Equality. This is the highest
level in addressing gender disparities. It
involves giving equal opportunities to
men and women to participate in all areas.
[This
is
achieved
through
equal
opportunities
and
equal
representation – the National Gender and Development
Policy
Why gender in climate change?
1. Climate Change affects men, women, youth and
vulnerable people differently [E.g. the impacts of CC on
water resources will have greater implications on women’s time and girls’
education; women’s livelihoods in rural Kenya are particularly dependent on
climate-sensitive sectors, such as subsistence agriculture or water collection.]
Read the Tana River Floods case study

Why gender in climate change?
2. Because of existing disparities; climate change tends
to increase existing gender inequalities
Existing Disparities
1.
Kenya is one of the most vulnerable
countries to climate change; already
under
pressure
from
climate
stresses;
2. Kenya’s vulnerability is increased by
climate-dependency
of
major
economic
sectors
(agriculture,
tourism, fisheries, etc) and by
existing development challenges
Why gender in climate change?
3.
To recognize and address the differential
impacts of Climate Change on women,
men, youth and vulnerable groups.
[Just the simple act of disaggregating data suddenly makes
the realities of vulnerability, and inequalities very clear..
The Tana River flood story]
Why gender in climate change?

4. To respond to internationally approved
standards and benchmarks (MDGs etc)
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

1.
2.
3.
4.
Gender is roles that society assigns to men, women,
youth and vulnerable people
It is different from Sex and should not be confused
with it.
Because gender roles are socially assigned, they are
culture-specific and often time-bound
Climate change affects men, women, youth and
vulnerable people differently and therefore it is
necessary to design responses that are gendersensitive

THANK YOU