UNFCCC Toolkit: Raising Key Issues 1.5

UNFCCC toolkit page
Factsheet: Message 5

Message 5: “Gender and youth issues must be considered in the discussion on agriculture under SBSTA. Gender and youth are currently mentioned under the Preamble section of the draft Agreement, but given the cross cutting nature of both topics, these cannot be limited to a Preamble.  Mentions of gender under the Preamble of the draft Agreement is welcomed, but should also be woven in through the negotiating text itself.”

The fifth of nine factsheets containing data and facts extracted from the sources below and others, then mapped to the nine key messages or topics of this guide/toolkit. Data will be related to UNFCCC negotiations, food security and nutrition, small vs large scale farmers, as well as specific topics such as:

  • The benefits of adapting to, and mitigating the effects of, climate change;
  • Key statistics on the impact agriculture has on climate change;
  • Impacts of climate change on agriculture;
  • Adaptation-mitigation co-benefits;
  • What is the SBSTA work programme?

A good part of the world’s poor are women. Impacts of climate change, such as drought, floods, extreme weather events and reduced food and water security, affect women and men differently with the poorest being the most vulnerable. Source: UNFCCC

43% of the agricultural labour force in developing countries is comprised of women. They account for an estimated two-thirds of the world’s 600 million poor livestock keepers. Source: FAO
More than 100 million people could be lifted out of poverty if women had the same access to, and control of resources as men. Source: FAO
In most countries, there is a disparity in the percentage of female-headed households who access credit compared to their male-led counterparts. Without access to credit, women are put at a severe disadvantage for buying essential inputs, such as seeds, tools and fertilizers, or invest in irrigation and land improvements. Source: FAO
Women receive merely 10% of total aid for agriculture, forestry and fishing Source: FAO
Land tenure and access to resources are important factors in increasing resilience to climate change. Yet across the world, gender inequity dominates. Of 141 countries, 103 have legal differences between men and women that may hinder women’s economic opportunities, including access to credit. Source: UNDP
In South Asia, women constitute two-thirds of the agricultural workforce but own less than 10% of agricultural lands. Source: CCAFS