COMMONWEALTH WOMEN PARLIAMENTARIANS (CWP) CHAIRPERSON
VIEW FROM THE
because of cultural norms and the inequitable distribution of roles, resources and power, especially in developing countries. Women make up the majority of the world’s poor and are more dependent than men on natural resources for their livelihoods and survival. Women tend to have lower incomes and are more likely to be economically dependent than men. When drought or unseasonable rain, for example, threatens agricultural production, men can use their savings and economic independence to invest in alternative income sources or otherwise adapt. In times of food scarcity and drought, women will often give priority to their husbands - his nutritional needs will be met before hers, and possibly those of their children. Women are also more vulnerable because they have less access to education and information that would allow them to manage climate-related risks to agriculture and livestock. In India, many women have considerably less access than men to critical information on weather alerts and cropping patterns, affecting their capacity to respond effectively to climate variability. It is the women who have to walk long distances to fetch water in situations where climate change has affected the ecosystem.
The Role of Parliament in tackling Climate Change This brings me to what we need to do as Parliamentarians to combat climate change. Parliaments can engage in the climate change agenda at national, regional and global levels. Members of Parliament can help break the international stalemate on climate change action by ‘domesticating’ global decisions using national legislation. But to do that they often need long-term capacity-building programmes to catalyze the process: programmes that have support within the Government and across Parliaments.
As Parliamentarians, we are uniquely placed to respond to some of the global challenges by influencing our own national climate change agenda. These can shape national climate policy and fill the important gaps between the global, national and local levels. Such legislation,
Above: Sudanese refugee women prepare to fill their containers with precious water at a camp in eastern Chad. Source: UNHCR image
though not supplanting the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) process, lets countries forge ahead with distinctive national actions that run alongside the international collective action.
In tackling the challenge of climate change, we as Parliamentarians must collectively resolve to: •
• • • •
Strengthen our roles as Parliamentarians and build our capacity around climate change challenges in order to improve legislative oversight.
Improve oversight of the Executive, strengthening national implementation and ensuring a more transparent and cohesive decision making process at the national level.
Strengthen stakeholder engagement across Parliament and bridge the gap between in-country experts and national decision makers.
Develop sustainable capacity-building programmes that span parliamentary cycles and make climate change a mainstream parliamentary issue.
Parliament should also design action plans for the implementation of international conventions.
I would like to conclude by emphasizing that climate change is a unique issue since reform requires public acceptance and behavior change to succeed. Ultimately the power to mitigate and adapt to climate change lies with the public, but Parliamentarians play an essential role in representing short and long-term interests, leading the public in change, promoting green policies and holding the Executive accountable.
I wish our readers a Happy New Year 2016! The Parliamentarian | 2016: Issue One | 9
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92
