Gender priority areas

The impact of disasters is different on men and women due to social constructs. Every day, disasters related to weather, water, climate and environmental extremes – that is, stemming from storms, droughts, floods and extreme temperatures – impact lives, livelihoods and socio-economic development around the world. These impacts are exacerbated by climate variability and change.

In disaster situations, women may obtain relevant information differently, and have distinct needs and differing access to resources that aid recovery due to gender-based divisions of labour, patterns of mobility and socially-expected behaviour patterns.

Equal inclusion of women’s and men’s voices in disaster risk management activities is essential to reduce impacts and build community resilience. Providers of weather and climate services for disaster risk reduction must enhance design and delivery for women to have better access to critical information crucial to decision-making in such situations. The experiences, knowledge and expertise of women are vital resources for disaster response and community resilience, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction strategies and processes.

Related Documents and Publications:

Empowering women to use weather and climate services effectively in agriculture is essential to achieving a world without hunger. Some 842 million people worldwide cannot afford to eat adequately and are chronically hungry. Over 70% of them live in rural areas in developing countries. Many are smallholder subsistence producers and family farmers who may not always grow enough to meet their families’ needs. And many are women. The most recent figures show that about half of the women in the world are active in agriculture – 60% in developing countries and 70 % in low-income food-deficit countries.  Figures also show that female farmers generally have less access to land, fertilizers and machinery as well as financial and extension services. Therefore, it is urgent to provide women with equitable access to weather and climate services to improve the productivity on their farms. 

Weather and climate services can help address the livelihood crisis of farmers.  Weather and climate services support more efficient use of the natural resources – soil, crop and climate – that are most important for agricultural productivity. However, many challenges still exist. National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS), particularly in developing countries, lack the technical capacity and competences needed to deliver timely and relevant weather and climate services that better meet the needs of the farming community. In addition, farmers in these countries – in particular the women – lack awareness of the availability of weather and climate services and would not know how to use them. A further challenge is posed by the fact that men and women also access and process such information in different ways and have different patterns of participation in training and decision-making.

Related Documents and Publications:

• Good practices for integrating gender equality and women's empowerment in climate-smart agriculture programs, FAO and CARE, 2019
• Towards gender-equitable small scale fisheries governance and development: a handbook, FAO, 2017
• Gender, climate change and food security. Policy Brief: UNDP and GGCA, 2017 
• Gender integration into climate-smart agriculture: tools for data collection and analysis for policy and research, FAO, 2016
• Agriculture and Food Security: Major Issues and Recommentations, Powerpoint Presentation from the Closing Session of the Conference on the Gender Dimensions of Weather and Climate Services (2014)
• Mainstreaming gender in fisheries and aquaculture. A stocktaking and planning exercise, FAO, 2013 
• Training Guide: Gender and Climate Change Research in Agriculture and Food Security for Rural Development Second Edition, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 2012
• The State of Food and Agriculture: Women in Agriculture – Closing the Gap for Development, FAO, 2011
• Gender in Agriculture Sourcebook, The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank, 2009

Many of the health risks that are affected by weather and climate, such as under-nutrition and malaria, show gender differences in relation to vulnerability and impacts. These differences reflect the combined effects of physiological, behavioral and socially constructed influences. Gender differences are also found in vulnerability to the indirect and longer-term effects of weather and climate-related hazards. For example, droughts bring health hazards through reduced availability of water for drinking, cooking and hygiene, and through food insecurity. Both gender differences and gender inequalities can give rise to inequities between men and women in health status and access to health care. For example, a woman may not receive needed health care because norms in her community prevent her from travelling alone to a clinic.

The adverse health consequences resulting from gender inequalities can be changed.  First, gender-sensitive research is needed to better understand the health implications of weather and climate impacts and associated policies. Second, capacity development on a large scale is required at two levels: targeted educational programmes and raising awareness among health professionals and the public. Finally, empowering women through education in science and technology will increase their awareness and create greater opportunities for their involvement in health issues.

Related Documents and Publications:

• Shelter from the Storm: a transformative agenda for women and girls in a crisis-prone world: United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), 2015
• Gender, climate change and health: World Health Organization (WHO), 2014
• Public Health: Major Issues and Recommendations: Powerpoint Presentation from the Closing Session of the Conference on the Gender Dimensions of Weather and Climate Services, 2014
• Mainstreaming Gender in Health Adaptation to Climate Change Programmes: A User's Guide: WHO, 2012
• Gender, Climate Change and Health: WHO, 2011
• Enhancing Women's Leadership: to address the challenges of climate change on nutrition security and health: Center for Public Health and Climate Change at the Public Health Institute (PHI), World Food Programme (WFP), UN Standing Committee on Nutrition (UNSCN) and Action Against Hunger (ACF), 2011
• Social and Gender Inequalities in Environment and Health: WHO Regional Office for Europe, WHO, 2010

From a gender perspective, the role of women in both accessing water and managing water resources needs to be addressed. Women are not a homogenous, vulnerable group, they are individuals who can be empowered to be part of planning and achieving a more sustainable future. Women are eager to participate in the honing of weather and climate services to answer to their need for accessible water supplies and to assist them in management of water resources. 

Life is not possible without water and there is no substitute. We drink it, grow food with it, cook with it, bathe in it and use it for sanitation. We use it to create the goods and services that drive our global economy.

Big gender imbalances and inequities exist in the area of water and these will be exacerbated by climate variability and change. These imbalances – skewed toward men – hamper effective water provision, water policy formulation, water management, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. 

How can we improve integrated water resources management, ensuring that all stakeholders in a basin or aquifer, especially women, take part?  How can we promote the role of women in climate change adaptation at all levels: family, community, national and international?

Related Documents and Publications:

The Eighteenth World Meteorological Congress adopted an updated Gender Action Plan (for details see the section "Policy and resolutions") and set the following priorities for 2020-2023:

Governance:

1. WMO Secretariat: encourage Members to: (i) nominate female experts to WMO governance bodies and their working structures and (ii) increase the representation of women in delegations to sessions;
2. WMO Secretariat: include gender balance in the Terms of Reference of all constituent bodies, including their management and working structures;
3. WMO Constituent Bodies: encourage Members to: (i) nominate female experts to WMO governance bodies and their working structures and (ii) increase the representation of women in delegations to sessions; 
4. WMO Constituent Bodies: strive for gender balance in the membership of all constituent bodies, including their management and working structures;
5.  WMO Constituent Bodies: ensure that the Executive Council oversees, advises on and contributes to the implementation of the WMO Gender Equality Policy and Action Plan;
6. WMO Constituent Bodies: designate in each constituent body a gender equality focal point with specific terms of reference and work plans;
7. WMO Members:  increase the participation of women by: (i) identifying and nominating female experts from NMHSs or other national institutions to participate in the work of WMO governance bodies and their working structures and (ii) seeking equality in the composition of delegations to sessions; 
8. WMO Members:  strive for gender balance in the membership of all constituent bodies, including their management and working structures

Strategic planning, monitoring and compliance

1. WMO Secretariat: organize training for Secretariat staff and develop tools on gender mainstreaming in programme and project management;
2. WMO Secretariat: ensure that all key data is sex-disaggregated, including at the programme and project level, or that there is a specific reason noted for not disaggregating;
3. WMO Constituent Bodies: ensure that all EC Panels and constituent bodies collect and use sexdisaggregated data in the monitoring, evaluation and reporting of their activities. 

Capacity development

1. WMO Secretariat: assist constituent bodies, particularly RAs, in the organization of workshops and side events on gender equality, unconscious bias and inclusive leadership aimed at raising the awareness, knowledge and capacity of PRs, NMHS Directors, Chairs, etc.;
2.  WMO Secretariat: strengthen the capacity of: (i) staff on gender analysis, the link between gender-WMO mandate, gender mainstreaming in projects, unconscious bias etc. and (ii) senior managers on gender-responsive and inclusive leadership, unconscious bias, etc.;
3. WMO Secretariat:  continue assisting constituent bodies in developing the leadership capacity of female delegates and professionals from Member States through Women’s Leadership Workshopsand other events;
4. WMO Secretariat:  work with RTCs on the development of a training module on gender, weather, water, climate and related environmental conditions;
5. WMO Constituent Bodies: ensure that workshops and side events on gender equality, unconscious bias and inclusive leadership are organized on the margins of constituent body meetings and events;
6. WMO Constituent Bodies: add gender-related issues to the Education and Training-related Panel meeting agenda, and to management and train-thetrainer course curriculum; (ii) increase female participation in Panel and other meetings;
7. WMO Constituent Bodies: Continue investing in the leadership capacity of female delegates and professionals from Member States, including through Women’s Leadership Workshops and other events on the margins of constituent body meetings; 
8. WMO Constituent Bodies: Develop a mentoring programme for female professionals with leadership potential, in cooperation with the RTCs. 

Communication and partnerships 

1. WMO Secretariat: feature gender-related issues regularly in the WMO Bulletin, MeteoWorld and other communication materials (at least once per year) by: (i) highlighting the role of women in meteorology, hydrology and climatology, (ii) promoting female role models, and (iii) advocating for gender-responsive weather and climate services;
2. WMO Secretariat: continue actively participating in gender equality networks, such as UN-SWAP, International Gender Champions, etc.;
3. WMO Secretariat: continue compiling images of women working in meteorology, hydrology and climatology, and use as much as possible in communication materials;
4. WMO Secretariat: enhance visibility of female role models, e.g. through web interviews and videos, Inspirational Speakers’ programme, focus press releases and internal communication on achievements by staff ;
5. WMO Constituent Bodies: promote the unique contributions of women, including through awards for outstanding achievement in meteorology/ hydrology/climatology for women;
6. WMO Members: use and disseminate widely communication materials and tools developed by the WMO Secretariat through mail lists, links to the WMO website and gender equality webpage, Facebook posts and tweets;
7. WMO Members: promote visibility of female role models and provide information on resulting articles on achievements by women to WMO.

Resource tracking and allocation

1. WMO Member: contribute to the WMO Gender Activities Trust.

Service provision

1. WMO Secretariat: (co-)organize regional and subregional climate and/or hydrological forums or workshops on the gender-specific dimensions of weather, water and climate;
2. WMO Secretariat:  develop tools and publications on the gendered impacts of weather, water and climate;
3. WMO Secretariat:  synthesize publications on the gendered impacts of weather, water and climate;
4. WMO Constituent Bodies: organize regional and sub-regional gender equality conferences, forums and events on the gender-specific dimensions of weather, water and climate;
5. WMO Constituent Bodies: identify strategies and mechanisms to integrate gender mainstreaming into service provision and have them implemented by NMHSs;