Promote more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, while contributing to poverty reduction, food security and nutrition, achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

The Gender Action Plan (GAP) of the Lima work programme recognizes the need for women to be represented in all aspects of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process. Countries under this sub-programme will develop gender-responsive climate policies and actions in agriculture and support gender balance and women’s leadership at national, regional, and global levels, specifically in the UNFCCC. Support will be given to countries to meet their gender targets established in the UNFCCC Lima work programme.

Status of the sub-programme
Ongoing

The process of nominating a woman as a National Focal Point has stimulated much needed change within Governments targeted by the project, in terms of rethinking the role of women in negotiations at the UNFCCC and in overall policy and decision-making processes at both national and international levels. Nominating women as focal points is a fundamental step towards achieving gender equality at national level policy processes and ensuring parity at international level so that gender and climate-related issues are appropriately addressed in agricultural policies and dialogue. 

Currently, six female agricultural experts from developing countries (Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Uganda, Zambia and Senegal), together with their relevant Ministries, have been nominated UNFCCC negotiators under the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture. FAO and its partners, the Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), and the UNFCCC, conducted a series of trainings during the second half of 2021, on the UNFCCC processes including negotiator trainings. Given the travel restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, training workshops were held virtually. The workshops are meant to build capacity to ensure a meaningful and impactful engagement in UNFCCC negotiating processes.

To promote and encourage women’s leadership and gender parity within the UNFCC, three of the women (Tasila Banda from Zambia, Imelda Kazomba from Uganda, and Leah Bentley from the Solomon Islands) attended COP26 as part of the country delegations. This number is expected to increase for COP27 as COVID-19 measures become less stringent.  

A global report commissioned to the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) through its GENDER Platform, will be published in the second half of 2022. The report is on the nexus of gender, climate change and agriculture, and includes a compendium of best practices on gender using the Climate-Smart Agriculture framework with regional perspectives. The results from this research and analysis will be crucial to develop evidence-based gender-responsive and transformative polices, strategies and actions for the agriculture sector.   

SET-UP AND PLANNING

The Office of Climate change, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB) is the lead technical unit of the project, in close collaboration with the gender team within the Inclusive Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division (ESP), as the custodian of the gender portfolio within the Organization. The project also collaborates with project task force from different technical units and country offices where the project is being implemented.

CHALLENGES AND LESSONS LEARNED

As a global project implemented in various regions, it is particularly challenging to harmonize activities and approaches given the varying needs and diverse time zones.

Establishing strong linkages with technical staff at regional and especially country offices, as well as partnerships with the already existing programs in these countries has been key to ensure the immediate start and smooth running of activities.

There are sensitivities with the fact that countries already have focal points to the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture, and who are all males. The same goes for other gender-related programmes from various multilateral partners that are currently ongoing in countries. Creating partnerships to build on existing efforts or create synergies becomes critical to move forward with the project.