Jamaica launches gender and climate change strategy and action plan

Jamaica has launched a gender and climate change strategy and action plan (GCCSAP) that it says has been developed and guided by a national gender and climate change assessment, which provided an overview of the policy and institutional contexts for gender-responsive climate action.

The assessment also facilitated an analysis of the practical gender and climate change linkages in Jamaica and recommendations for action.

One aspect of the GCCSAP, titled ‘Build Institutional Capacity for Mainstreaming Gender in Climate Finance Programming’, is financed by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and was developed with support from the International Institute for Sustainable Development.

According to the Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Matthew Samuda, said the plan is designed to lay the groundwork for mainstreaming gender and climate considerations into projects and policies as a means of effective disaster risk reduction and strategic development planning.

“In the face of increasing climate change impacts, such as hurricanes, tropical storms, flooding, drought, and heat waves, the most vulnerable among us, particularly those in the lower socio-economic strata, are being increasingly affected.

“The government and its partners must take concrete steps on behalf of the vulnerable groups among us and incorporate gender into project planning cycles,” Samuda said during the launch of the project last weekend.

Samuda said the government has taken steps at varying levels to implement policies to address issues relating to vulnerable groups.

“We established the climate change focal point network across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, which is charged with prioritizing, executing, monitoring, and reporting on gender-responsive climate action. We have also established gender focal points, and work is ongoing to ensure that we continue working collaboratively with these groups,” he said.

Samuda said that at the national level, Vision 2030 Jamaica, the Climate Change Policy Framework of Jamaica, and the National Policy for Gender Equality articulate the need for gender equitable and climate conscious development.

He said the strategy and action plan will build on the solid foundation and evaluate gender responsiveness for successful, effective implementation of these and future policies, plans and programs.

Principal Director, Bureau of Gender Affairs, Sharon Coburn-Robinson, said that the new policy will redound to the benefit of all parties concerned.

“Now that we have the strategy, we will be able to do exactly what it is that we have set out to do from the very inception when we spoke about how we can merge gender and climate change and have a successful nexus,” she said. -(CMC)