Gender and Climate Change: Towards Comprehensive Policy Options

This chapter reviews women’s vulnerability to climate change, gender differences in attitudes and behaviours towards climate change, and gender differences in climate change adaptation. The vulnerability can be traced back to a lack of resources available to women, an unfavourable division of labour, and specific cultural restrictions on the activities of women. In addition, the positive influence of women on decision-making with regard to climate change mitigation can be explained by whether the contributions of men and women to communities are complementary. This deepened understanding has led to the emergence of policy options which address gender and climate change in a comprehensive and cohesive manner. Many mitigation measures, for example, generate synergy effects, thus creating an improved understanding of how climate policy can be designed in a gender-sensitive way. This chapter provides solid guidance for policymakers interested in the sdg target 5.a and in all the targets listed in the sdg 13.