Gender and Climate Change

Overview

The Climate Change Act of 2009 declared that it is a policy of the State to incorporate a gender-sensitive, pro-children and pro-poor approach in designing and implementing all climate change and renewable energy efforts, plans, and programs. In 2012, the Climate Change Act was amended create a domestic climate change adaptation fund, called the People’s Survival Fund (PSF), which is aimed at supporting projects that are responsive to gender-differentiated vulnerabilities, climate-risk profiles and other considerations.  

These provisions were mainstreamed in the policies and programs of the Climate Change Commission, thus achieving the following results:

(1) Ensured the active involvement of women in decision-making (through its multi-stakeholder consultations, capacity-building initiatives, and participation in international climate negotiations); 

(2) Promoted the integration of gender concerns and perspectives in policies and programmes (through the development and updating of plans); and 

(3) Required the assessment of the impact of climate-resilient development policies and interventions on women (through monitoring and evaluation reports and gender analysis of projects for funding under the People’s Survival Fund and other climate finance facilities).  

In 2019, the CCC adopted the Commission Resolution No. 2019-02, thereby strengthening the framework for gender-based approaches in the formulation and implementation of climate change policies, plans, programs, and activities in the country, including the generation of sex-disaggregated data and the conduct of gender analysis. Moreover, the Resolution established the need for coordination amongst key agencies in promulgating policies, directives, and initiatives supportive of the collaborative approach to accomplish its objectives. 

Moving forward, the Commission is currently undertaking an NDC gender analysis which will identify entry points in ensuring that gender-responsive initiatives are incorporated in the Philippines’ first NDC, with support from the UNDP’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Support Programme.

Lastly, the CCC itself has observes gender-balance and women representation within the organization. Under its Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations, the Commission shall be composed of four Commissioners, including the President as ex-officio Chairperson. At least one of the Commissioners shall be a woman. Also, the Commission established a GAD Focal Point System to monitor its GAD mainstreaming efforts in climate actions, and has appointed gender focal points to international fora i.e. UNFCCC and IPCC.