Addressing women in climate change policies: A focus on selected east and southern African countries

This Article responds to claims in the literature that gender mainstreaming is lacking in international and national climate change policy regimes. A scan of climate change policies from selected east and southern African countries was conducted to assess whether climate change policies include gender and women. The focus on women is deliberate given women's greater vulnerability to climate change impacts than men. The research analysis used a framework modified from the United Nations Environment Programme's (2011) recommendations on women's needs in climate change. The main finding is that although the national policies reviewed are in their infancy, with the oldest, the National Policy on Climate Change for Namibia having been put in place only in 2010, the mainstreaming of women's needs in climate change has gained momentum. However, the empowerment of women by climate change policy varies significantly from country to country.