A/HRC/41/26 III. Linkages between women’s agency and effective climate action 26. The full and equal participation and leadership of women in decision-making, planning and implementation as regards climate action is essential to protecting women’s rights and ensuring effective climate action. Participation is a human right, it enables the advancement of other human rights, and it is a core element of rights-based approaches to addressing discrimination and marginalization. 56 Projects and programming aimed at supporting communities affected by climate change become more effective when women are fully included,57 leading to more efficient use of climate finance. 58 If women are not included in climate action, their needs are less likely to be addressed and inequalities are more likely to be perpetuated. 59 For effective climate action, decision makers must prioritize the meaningful and effective participation of women, recognizing that women are agents of change with unique perspectives, expertise, and problem-solving capabilities.60 27. For example, women play a significant role in agricultural production, 61 but are often excluded from consultation processes concerning agriculture. 62 According to one estimate, if all women smallholders received equal access to productive resources, their farm yields would rise by 20 to 30 per cent, 100 to 150 million people would no longer go hungry, and carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by 2.1 gigatons by 2050. 63 Climate action will also create new and non-traditional jobs. Failure to address gender gaps will prevent women from benefiting from these economic opportunities and inhibit the transition to a sustainable economy. Removing the barriers that prevent women from having equal access to energy and economic opportunities will unlock significant productivity gains and strengthen development outcomes. 64 Women’s participation at all levels of decision-making is critical for more effective climate action. 65 Women’s experiences in female-dominated workforces, or as the unpaid household workers that support industry, need to be included in discussions about a just transition and associated social protection systems. 28. Women’s unique knowledge and experience, particularly at the local level, 66 in areas such as agriculture, conservation and the management of natural resources means that the inclusion of women in climate action and decision-making processes is not simply a legal and moral imperative, but is also critical to effective and informed action. 67 One study has 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 See A/HRC/39/28. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, “Introduction to gender and climate change”, available at https://unfccc.int/gender. Liane Schalatek, “Gender and climate finance”, available at https://climatefundsupdate.org/wpcontent/uploads/2018/11/CFF10-2018-ENG-DIGITAL.pdf. UN-Women, “Pacific gender and climate change toolkit: tools for practitioners”, available at www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2015/9/pacific-gender-and-climate-change-toolkit. UNDP, “Overview of linkages between gender and climate change” (2013), available at www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/gender/Gender%20and%20Environment/PB1-APOverview-Gender-and-climate-change.pdf. See www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/gender/Gender%20and%20Environment/ UNDP%20Gender,%20CC%20and%20Food%20Security%20Policy%20Brief%203-WEB.pdf. Liane Schalatek, “Gender and climate finance”. See www.drawdown.org/solutions/women-and-girls/women-smallholders. United States Agency for International Development and International Union for Conservation of Nature, “Advancing gender in the environment: making the case for women in the energy sector” (2018), available at www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1865/IUCN-USAIDMaking_case_women_energy_sector.pdf. Susannah Fisher and Clare Shakya, “Gendered voices for climate action: a theory of change for the meaningful inclusion of local experiences in decision-making”, available at http://pubs.iied.org/pdfs/10193IIED.pdf. Bina Agarwal, “Gender and forest conservation: the impact of women’s participation in community forest governance”, Ecological Economics, vol. 68, No. 11, pp. 2785–2799. Mary Robinson Foundation, “Women’s participation: an enabler for climate justice”, available at www.mrfcj.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/MRFCJ-_Womens-Participation-An-Enabler-ofClimate-Justice_2015.pdf. 9