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- Convenor:
-
Olajumoke Adeyeye
(International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria)
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- Format:
- Paper panel
- Stream:
- Climate emergency and development
- Location:
- S208
- Sessions:
- Friday 28 June, -
Time zone: Europe/London
Short Abstract:
This panel will seek evidence on how the design and implementation of social protection programs can intersect with gender to build the agency and economic resilience of the vulnerable, especially women, to climate change challenges.
Long Abstract:
There is a growing body of literature examining the relationship between climate change (CC) challenges and social protection (SP) (Costella et al., 2017, 2023; Kuriakose et al., 2013; Rana et al., 2022; Ulrichs et al., 2019). However, many of these studies are gender-blind or at best consider gender issues at the periphery. In addition, they focus on how social protection can build the resilience of vulnerable groups to intensifying climate hazards and disasters, with little attention paid to the potential of SP to address slow onset climate events (SOEs), non-economic losses, and human mobility (Aleksandrova, 2019a). Studies have shown that the impact of CC challenges, resilience to vulnerabilities and risks, and coping mechanisms are disproportionately gendered (Holmes et al., 2019; Meinzen-Dick et al., 2011) and that SOEs will have disproportionately greater negative impacts on the well-being of vulnerable groups, especially women and children (Nelson, 2011). Hence, the existing patterns of inequality between men and women may be accentuated when gender-blind, social protection design features are overlaid on existing power inequalities and social norms (Nelson, 2011). Using empirical and theoretical evidence from climate hotspots, this panel will assess how different social protection design features influence the agency of women as well as their economic empowerment to build resilience capacity to climate change challenges.
Accepted papers:
Session 1 Friday 28 June, 2024, -Olajumoke Adeyeye (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria) Gundula Fischer
Paper short abstract:
Research on gender issues in climate adaptation and resilience on the one hand and gendered outcomes of social protection programs on the other hand have remained largely separate. This narrative review explores the gap between both bodies of gender research with a specific focus on the Sahel region
Paper long abstract:
Several decades following the prolonged drought in the Sahel in the late 20th century, the negative effects of drought are still prevalent across different regions in the Sahelian country. With the increasing climate shocks and extreme events such as droughts and heavy rains, the Sahel region remained one of the key climate hotspots in the world. Due to the greater vulnerability of the Sahel region to climate change, there have been calls for more gender-responsive design and implementation of social protection responses to climate change challenges across levels and scales in Sahel countries. This narrative review explores the gap between two bodies of gender research; gender and social protection and gender and climate resilience, with a specific focus on the Sahel region. The Gender Responsive Age-Sensitive Social Protection (GRASSP) framework is used to assess the (still limited) evidence on connections between gender, social protection, and climate change in six gender equality outcome areas— economic security and empowerment, women’s voice and agency, protection, health, education, and psychosocial well-being. Emerging linkages between both research strands include interactions between climate adaptation strategies and features of social protection programs. Also, the importance of addressing inequitable gender norms in social protection design as well as for climate resilience became evident in several GRASSP areas. Overall, engagement between both research communities needs to be strengthened, for instance through the research questions provided.
Yihunbelay Teshome (Ethiopian Civil Service University, Ethiopia) Carolina Holland-Szyp (Institute of Development Studies) Lars Otto Naess (Institute of Development Studies) Meghan Bailey (Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre) Ayantu Habtamu (Addis Ababa University) Jeremy Lind (Institute of Development Studies (Sussex University)) Ayantu Mamo
Paper short abstract:
This paper argues that the lack of recognition of women headed households’ vulnerable circumstances in the public works component of Ethiopia's productive safety net program (PSNP) is a major obstacle to supporting their resilience in the face of climate change.
Paper long abstract:
Since 2005, Ethiopia's productive safety net program (PSNP) has worked to protect vulnerable women's livelihoods amidst a range of shocks and stressors. In this paper, we examine whether and how the public works component of PSNP can help strengthen the resilience of women-headed households (WHHs) in the face of climate change. We draw on the participatory qualitative research approach’s methods, such as focus group discussions and key informant interviews, in climate change and conflict-affected areas. Findings indicate that the contributions of PSNP were limited to alleviating temporary chronic food insecurity and ensuring public participation, but that it failed to address structural causes of vulnerability, including those driven by gender-based differences. Notably, the PSNP's public works component failed to recognize vulnerable WHHs’ state of life – the stress of leading their families alone when they get divorced, become widows or lose their family. Due to already excessive domestic household chores and public workloads, this group was unable to participate in building their resilience capacities side by side with public works, in sharp contrast to male-headed households. Even when they have time to make additional income to supplement their low public work pay, they may be subject to sexual violence and labor exploitation. Members of WHHs were also often compelled to migrate to supplement their incomes, further adding to their insecurity. Our research suggests that to support climate resilience, there is a need for the design and implementation of PSNP and other social assistance programs to prioritize gender-sensitive capacities of vulnerable WHHs.
Agnes Silva (Far Eastern University) Marian Gongora (Far Eastern University - Manila)
Paper short abstract:
The authors are eager to share the intersection of culture, climate change, & gender-specific needs post-natural disasters in the Philippines & Southeast Asia. By conceptualising the term "Normalisation of Inconvenience" it reflects the lack of gender-specific & sustainable climate change policies.
Paper long abstract:
In 2021, Typhoon Rai (locally named as “Odette”), a Category-5 typhoon was the strongest and costliest typhoon, just eight years after Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda). Siargao Islands, a thriving tourist destination, was considered as one of the most damaged and affected areas with 217,000 individuals displaced mostly living in and below the poverty line, 1,700 of which were pregnant women as hospitals and health centres were severely damaged, while 30 protection centres for women and children were no longer functioning (UNFPA, 2022). Following our initial findings, climate change policies and disaster response and risk mitigation practices overlook gender-specific needs of women in the rapid response stage due that women assume unpaid labour in both household and community work. The study has now progressed in examining how the “Normalisation of Inconvenience” in other parts of the Philippines which extends in other Southeast Asian countries and its lack of gender-specific climate change policies. Through qualitative research methodologies, this study poses the question on how the “Normalisation of Inconvenience” reflect the region’s climate change policies and post-natural disaster initiatives affect the mobility and economic well-being of women. Lastly, the authors conceptualises the term “Normalisation of Inconvenience” reflecting the intertwining of natural disasters as a frequent life experience exemplifying the lack of demanding sustainable climate change policies.
Keywords: Typhoon Rai, Natural Disasters, Climate Change, Vulnerabilities, Women, Informal Sector, Poverty Line, Siargao, Philippines, Southeast Asia
Rakiya Mamman (National Open University of Nigeria) Saadatu Umaru Baba (Kaduna State University) Oluwakemi Olayinka (Redbridge Multiservices International Limited) Abubakar Bakare-Aremu (National Open University of Nigeria, FCT, Abuja) Emina William Uli (National open University of Nigeria)
Paper short abstract:
This paper examines how the UN Joint RCCE project in Nigeria addressed the gendered impacts of COVID-19 through risk communication and social protection interventions. It analyzes the factors that enabled or constrained women’s access to and benefits from the project
Paper long abstract:
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the existing gender inequalities and vulnerabilities in Nigeria, especially for women in marginalized communities. The UN Joint RCCE project in Nigeria aimed to mitigate the socio-economic and health effects of the pandemic by providing risk communication, community engagement, and social protection activities for the most at-risk women, adolescent girls, and vulnerable groups. This paper evaluates the design and implementation of the project, focusing on the social protection component that involved unconditional small grants for women. It draws on literature review, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions to assess the outcomes and challenges of the project. It identifies the factors that influenced women’s access to and benefits from the project, such as awareness, eligibility, targeting, delivery, accountability, and empowerment. It also discusses the implications of the project for social justice and development in a polarizing world. The paper contributes to the panel theme by providing empirical evidence and lessons learned on how social protection programs can intersect with gender to build the agency and economic resilience of the vulnerable to climate change and other shocks. It also offers recommendations for improving the design and implementation of future social protection interventions in Nigeria and beyond.