Beyond Words

Gender

Climate change is not gender-neutral nor gender-blind; the various ways it impacts people’s lives and livelihoods and the responses to these impacts are greatly influenced by gender norms. Gender is increasingly recognized as a decisive factor in planning and implementing climate change and disaster risk reduction interventions.

In 2012, the UN and Oxfam published a policy brief which assessed the progress of gender equality in climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in Vietnam. Beyond Words – Advancing Gender Equality in Climate Change Policy and Programming in Vietnam offers an update on this document, assessing progress in recent years and renewing recommendations. Whilst primarily targeted at Vietnamese policy-makers at national and local level, it provides a comprehensive case study of gender integration within climate change policy which has international relevance.