Vienna 13.3.2008


Dear colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the pleasure to welcome you in this event organised by two Human Security Network member states, Austria and Greece, the current Chair of the Network. 
The last ten years, the HSN has provided a platform of communication and path breaking synergy between policy makers and civil society, with a view to promoting the values of the UN system and the respect for human security and dignity.
Greece has adopted as the main priority of its chairmanship the impact of climate change on human security and in particular on vulnerable population groups, that is children, women and persons fleeing their homes due to climate change.

Today’s event, organised by the Greek Chairmanship in cooperation with the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of Austria, offers the opportunity to raise awareness on the issue of the impact of climate change on women, as well as to exchange views on potential strategies and planning to respond efficiently to the problem.
It is the last of a series of four debates: the previous ones have taken place in Bali and New York, dedicated to climate change and children, in cooperation with UNICEF and in Geneva, with IOM for the climate change and migration. The purpose of all these meetings is, like I have already said, to raise awareness and to provide input for the elaboration of policy papers regarding HSN action on climate change which are being prepared by UNICEF, UN University and WEDO and which will be presented and discussed at political level at the HSN Ministerial Meeting as well as at the international conference, that we organise on May 29-30 2008 in Athens.

Most definitions of human security are based on the concept of freedom from fear and freedom from want. We underscore the need to respond to changing environmental conditions too, which in cases of extreme weather events and long-term catastrophes, like drought, are linked both to freedom from fear and freedom from want.

Climate change is already happening and it will put pressure on those who, although not directly responsible for it, are already the most vulnerable, in particular population groups in least developed countries, which may face multiple stresses at the same time -- pre-existing conflicts, poverty, unequal access to resources, weak institutions, food insecurity and  diseases.

Climate change is, among others, a gender issue. The two most important international documents which provide the basis for any collective effort to combat climate change - the UN framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol - do not approach the issue of climate change under a gender perspective. Therefore, the need for women to participate in the decision-making process concerning climate change issues, as well as the particular vulnerabilities of women to climate change are not adequately reflected and, consequently, addressed. 

Most approaches to tackling the threats of climate change focus on scientific and technological aspects of the problem, ignoring its social impact.

Women tend to suffer more from climate change, not only because they represent the majority of the world's poor, but also because they are more dependent on natural resources which are threatened by climate change. Furthermore, their special social role and status, which consists of being charged with the responsibility of the family and the household, makes them particularly vulnerable to food insecurity, water shortages, spreading of diseases and other adverse effects of climate change. They also represent, according to some statistics, the majority of victims in natural and/or climate change induced disasters. For instance, it is estimated that in the most affected areas of Indonesia by the 2004 tsunami, women made up to 55%-80% of deaths, while in the 2003 France heat wave toll about 70% were women.

Women need to be considered in the adoption of strategies and planning for the reduction of the adverse effects of climate change. In this respect, it is important to investigate how women use their environment, in comparison to men, and how women are affected by environmental changes. 

It is equally important to mainstream gender in the institutions that deal with the issue of climate change.  Women are not sufficiently represented in environmental decision-making in government, industry and the scientific community.
Women tend to be more sensitive to issues concerning the environment. In this respect, they can assume leading role in efforts aiming at raising awareness and combating climate change and environmental degradation, in national, regional and international level.

Having recently celebrated the Woman’s Day, on the 8th of March, I was impressed by the publicity given to the existing initiatives and efforts of women from all over the world working on climate change issues.
Women have a key role in tackling climate change as consumers, educators and ‘change agents’ in their homes, encouraging the adoption of environmentally friendly lifestyles and passing on such values to their children.

Concluding: the effects of climate change are likely to exacerbate the world’s already vast inequities, including gender related ones. This is a shame since women's skills and leadership are crucial for people's survival and well-being and their waste is a waste for society as a whole. If we accept (it is plain common sense) that in the women’s part – 50% - of every population, we have 50% of the best talents for science, business or politics, when in a country or population we have only 20% of women’s participation in science, business or politics, the society loses up to 30% of its talents.

We should finally address the growing need for the development of appropriate policies which can meet this challenge. One very important tool in this respect can be the implementation of development policies which promote adaptation to climate change, taking into consideration its gender perspective as well; both in terms of vulnerability to climate change’s adverse effects as well as women’s empowerment. It is essential to integrate those concerns into development cooperation policy and programs, as well as into partner countries’ national policies and development strategies.

Thank you very much for your attention and I am looking forward to a very interesting and fruitful discussion.