Are you Interested in Gender Aspects of Climate Change?

Dear All,

I work for the Climate Action Network-Canada, the national coordinating body for non-government organizations pushing for rapid reductions in national and global greenhouse gas emissions. I also volunteer for the Sierra Club of Canada on climate and other issues. I am seeking names of people/institutions/ngos/governments doing work around gender aspects of climate change mitigation in industrialized countries. I have found some research on gender and adaptation in developing countries (CIDA is supporting some of it), but very little exists on mitigation, i.e., reducing emissions in the North. For all intents and purposes, climate change and climate change mitigation are seen as gender-neutral, even though there exists ample research showing how women and men differ in how they think, problem-solve, prioritize, communicate and behave. I would greatly appreciate any leads on research data and contacts in North America of academic researchers, ngos, policy-making think-tanks, programs or projects dealing with any aspect under these two main subjects: 1) Participation - gender aspects of key decision-making in government, energy sectors, industries and businesses (e.g. at present only a tiny fraction of senior executives in the traditional and renewable energy sectors are women, and while the the proportion of girls entering traditionally male fields such as medicine, law and business is rising steadily, the number of girls entering fields of engineering is falling) Have you heard of any climate change career workshops or job-shadowing programs designed for girls? Do you know of anyone working on gender-based analyses of government policy-making at the federal, provincial/state or muncipal levels? How about executive advancement programs and policies in the oil and gas industry? 2) Gender-sensitive education and awareness activities. This concerns the degree to which current education and awareness efforts take gender differences into account when designing tools to impact energy consumption behaviours in the home, at work and in recreation. Do you know anyone or any work being done to determine the influence of gender on things like risk-taking behaviour or the likelihood to adopt specific changes in the home etc? Gender-based analyses of decision processes? Do you know of any existing model programs to encourage energy conservation and energy efficiency that are gender-sensitive .e.g using gender-specific communications and marketing techniques? How about environmental leadership education programs for girls? Or elementary classroom activities (e.g. on the 3 Rs) developed with gender differences in mind? As I said, any and all feedback at the beginning of this long-term effort is very valuable and most appreciated. If you would like to be added to a list serve I am setting up to dicuss these subjects, please just let me know.

Thanks!
Ruth

Ruth Edwards
Climate Action Network-Canada
412-1 Nicholas Street Ottawa, ON K1N 7B7