By Stacey Kimmig
One of the great accomplishments at COP 23 was the adoption of the GAP – the Gender Action Plan. The Women and Gender Constituency, of which FAWCO is a supporting member, has been working for several years to make this happen. On November 14, in the second week of the COP, the GAP was finally adopted by the Parties. The Gender Action Plan strives to improve the inclusion of women in climate action discussions, as well as promote gender-responsive climate action. The GAP has five areas of focus:
- Capacity-building (empowering women)
- Gender balance and women’s participation and leadership
- Coherence (consistent implementation, with dialogue between parties and observers)
- Gender-responsive implementation
- Monitoring and reporting
Passing of the GAP coincided with Gender Day at the COP, which started off with a networking brunch and a high-level event on making the economic case for gender-responsive climate action. The Women and Gender Constituency celebrated the adoption of the GAP the next evening with tribal and modern dance and celebration, which attracted people from all over the world to learn about the GAP. Overall, it was a hugely successful COP for the advancement of women’s rights around the world in the climate debate. The next steps will be to ensure that the GAP is effectively implemented in the climate discussions and actions.