Climate action's hidden opportunities for women | Zineb Sqalli
Apr 22, 2024
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Gender and climate researcher Zineb Sqalli discusses how climate action has negatively impacted women, offering solutions for advancing sustainability and gender equality. The podcast explores gender-equal programs, the importance of women's perspectives in the workplace, and ways organizations can increase gender diversity.
Climate action initiatives can inadvertently hinder gender equality by excluding women from green job opportunities and investments in high-emission industries, requiring intentional gender inclusion in all sustainability projects.
Vienna's Gender Equal Urban Planning Program showcases how integrating a gender lens in urban projects can enhance women's experiences, inclusivity, and sustainability outcomes.
Deep dives
Climate Action and Gender Equality
Climate action efforts may inadvertently set gender equality back by 15 years as women might miss out on green job opportunities and investments in highly emitting sectors. To tackle this, it's crucial to intentionally embed a gender lens in all green projects and legislation, ensuring equal benefits for both men and women.
Vienna's Gender Equal Urban Planning Program
Vienna's Gender Equal Urban Planning Program serves as a successful model showing how integrating a gender lens in urban projects can benefit women and make cities more inclusive. By involving women in the design process, considering women-specific needs, and measuring the impact on women, cities can advance both sustainability and gender equality.
Women's Representation in Decision-Making
Increasing women's representation in decision-making contexts is vital for addressing design biases that impact women. An example at Columbia Business School highlighted how policy decisions made without diverse perspectives, primarily by men, can lead to outdated practices that hinder women's experiences. Broadening perspectives in organizations is key to transforming workplaces for the better.
Climate action has historically had a gender-neutral lens, but this lack of intentionality has actually negatively impacted women, says gender and climate researcher Zineb Sqalli. Using real-world, gender-equal programs as examples Sqalli offers solutions for advancing both sustainability and gender equality – at the same time. After the talk, Modupe shares ways organizations can increase gender diversity and promote inclusion.