There is a direct link between gender equality, women empowerment and climate change. Women are among the groups that are most vulnerable to the impacts of the increasing levels of natural resource depletion and environment degradation. At the same time, their voices and concerns are often excluded from the processes of policy-planning and decision-making that seek to tackle climate change, reduce inequality and curb the environmental crisis that we currently face. In spite of that, it is widely accepted that women can and should play a central role in the response to climate change at the local, national, and global levels.

Against this backdrop, mainstreaming gender into environment related projects and policies is crucial to both tackle climate change and reduce gender inequality. Broadly, it requires incorporating a gender-sensitive approach to environment-related concerns at different levels: from community-based organizations and local-led initiatives, to the development and implementation of international conventions. At the same time, this process must be grounded upon a strong understanding of the external factors that affect gender equality, including climate change and the widespread destruction of natural resources, and take into account the experiences and concerns of the women that are most vulnerable to the impact of climate change.

In this context and with the aim of helping you to better understand the linkage between gender equality and the management of natural resources in the context of climate change, UN CC:Learn has developed an e-course on Gender and Environment. This course provides you with the knowledge and tools to mainstream gender and become an effective change-maker for sustainable development. The course is organized into six modules covering the following areas:

1. Introduction
2. Climate Change
3. International Waters
4. Biodiversity
5. Land Degradation
6. Chemicals and Waste

It’s available in English, Spanish and French and the registration is open here.