Please, download the document here: Gender Strategy in terms of REDD+ and Climate Change Mitigation in Central Africa

Executive Summary

At such a time when countries are designing climate change mitigation and adaptation policies, it is important to ensure that gender-related aspects are taken into consideration so that women and men can be involved on a same footing and benefit equitably from available opportunities. It is also highly necessary to anticipate the risks related to gender inequalities, as well as the vulnerability of women faced with climate change and other environmental and social chocs.

This will help to enhance the role of women and other highly vulnerable populations in the development and the implementation of national and sub-regional REDD+ and mitigation policies and strategies. It will also help to ensure equal opportunity to men and women to participate, to enjoy the benefits and opportunities resulting from implemented policies, programs and projects. Specifically, the strategy provides rural women with a framework which helps them to benefit from REDD+ and the opportunities offered by climate change mitigation programs, thus helping to alleviate poverty.

Priority Actions Proposed under the Strategy Include:

1. Gender capacity building, REDD+ and climate change mitigation through awareness, training and supervision of target groups;

2. Supporting and supervising REDD+ and mitigation initiatives involving women at grassroots level;

3. Sharing experience and disseminating achievements on good practices and gender and REDD+-related innovations, REFADD participation in the 7th CEFDHAC in Kigali (Rwanda), 2012 and mitigation in COMIFAC countries;

4. Supporting the integration of gender in COMIFAC and its member countries’ policies and legislations;

5. Information, communication and advocacy in order to promote a favorable environment to gender awareness in policies and the active participation of women in REDD+ and climate change mitigation processes;

6. Enhancing multi-actor partnership with close attention to collaboration and synergies between involved NGO networks;

7. Follow-up & evaluation through the establishment, follow-up and verification of change indicators in terms of gender integration.

The strategy implementation shall involve many partners at local, national, regional and international levels. These are the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), ONUREDD, ONU Femmes, UNEP, UNDP, COMIFAC and member states, the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP), la Conférence des Écosystèmes des Forêts Denses et Humides d’Afrique Centrale (CEFDHAC), development partners, including UICN, CIDA, FAO, CIFOR, GIZ, the African Model Forests network (RAFM), the Global Gender and Climate Alliance (GGCA), REDD+ regional coordination, REDD+ and mitigation programs and projects, REFADD and its members, grassroots organisations involving women, gender departments in countries, local authorities, as well as other CSOs active on REDD+-related issues, including the African Women Network for Forest Community Management (REFACOF), etc.

Please, download the document here: Gender Strategy in terms of REDD+ and Climate Change Mitigation in Central Africa