How do we take action?
Zonta Says NOW to Gender-Equal Climate Action is guided by the recommendations in the Zonta International Statement on Climate Change: A Gender Equality Issue.
Zonta International calls on governments to:
- Sign the Paris Agreement if they have not done so.
- Actively consider human rights, gender equality and empowerment of women and girls in defining and implementing their national climate action plans, including gender-responsive measures that are more effective and respectful of human rights.
- Uphold the principles of climate justice agreed to in the Paris Agreement and ensure that the most marginalized groups do not bear the brunt of the climate crisis.
- Set up more gender-balanced governing bodies to integrate gender-sensitive climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning, as per SDG 13.2 and the Paris Agreement.
- Arrange education for girls and support girls’ access to education.
- Include basic education on climate change and its consequences to nature and societies for all students, recognizing and addressing the social and economic factors aggravated by climate change (as per SDG 13.3.1).
- Ensure climate adaptation and mitigation plans address the unique needs of women and barriers to women’s full participation in the economy, including:
- Childcare and elder care services.
- Occupational segregation.
- Informal work.
- The gender pay gap.
- Legal and social restrictions.
- Include women in the formation of disaster preparedness and response plans. These plans should:
- Recognize the unique needs of women and girls.
- Prioritize their health and safety.
- Include responses to gender-based violence.
Zonta International calls on its membership to:
- Increase their awareness of climate change and its gender-related consequences and raise awareness locally.
- Include gendered climate change advocacy actions in their advocacy plans.
- Support the inclusion of women at the national and local tables of decision-makers on environmental sustainability.
- Promote girls’ education, the inclusion of climate literacy in schools, and girls’ participation in STEM studies to increase gendered scientific and technical contributions to climate change mitigation.
- Advocate for national policies that consider women’s economic opportunities and ensure their full and equal participation in the economy.
The Intercontinental Zonta Says NOW Think Tank is developing a set of Action Guides that apply the Framework for Action to each recommendation listed above. The Action Guides and the Framework for Action may be found on the Zonta Says NOW Resources page.