Good morning everyone, DOST officials, resource persons, and my DOST family.
Let me begin by greeting all our women employees, PSHS female students, women participating in this forum, Happy Women’s Month. Our forum’s theme, Women at the Frontline of Climate Change is an interesting topic of discussion as we know that the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals urge countries to mitigate climate change under Global Goal 14 and promote gender equality under Global Goal 5. Even UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres recognized the existential threat of climate change because evidence showed that indeed, climate change is the test of our generation and it is one of the greatest global challenges of the century, its impacts vary among regions, generations, age, classes, income groups and gender.
The Philippines ranks fourth among countries most affected by extreme weather events in the 2021 long-term Global Climate Risk Index, with 317 exceptionally devastating events that occurred from 2000-2019 – more than any other country in the top ten. Typhoons Pablo and Yolanda infamously devastated the country in 2012 and 2013 respectively. Just before Christmas 2021, Super Typhoon Odette ravaged more than 2 million families and left damages of USD650 million in housing, infrastructure and agriculture.
Climate change impacts men and women differently, largely due to their gender-differentiated relative powers, roles and responsibilities at the household and community levels. Women tend to be overly burdened with household work and caring for children, the sick and the elderly. The effects of climate change put women at increased risk of hunger, food insecurity and violence. They also threaten women’s income, health and their entire way of life. In times of crises, women’s and girls’ unpaid care and domestic work is likely to increase, as also seen during this pandemic. Due to enduring stereotypes, women continue to be underrepresented in STEM education and in decision-making processes at all levels of climate change development planning and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) phases of prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, rehabilitation, and recovery.
Section 10 of the Magna Carta of Women provides for “the right to protection and security in times of disasters, calamities, and other crisis situations especially in all phases of relief, recovery, rehabilitation, and construction efforts… and immediate humanitarian assistance, allocation of resources, and early resettlements, if necessary.” Responses to disaster situations shall include the provision of services, such as psychosocial support, livelihood support, education, psychological health, and comprehensive health services, including protection during pregnancy. Further, the updated Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Plan (2019-2025) includes a chapter on DRRM under the Strategic Goal Area on Expanded Opportunities for Women’s Participation, Leadership and Benefits in Disaster Resilience and Humanitarian Action.
As duty bearer, The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is working on projects for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation and mitigation. These projects are part of the DOST's National R&D agenda for 2017-2022.
The 2017-2022 Harmonized National Research and Development Agenda for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation (HNRDA DRR-CCA) represents the priorities of government organizations and stakeholders involved in DRR and CCA, consistent with related local and international development initiatives.
The HNRDA DRR-CCA consolidates the priorities of the DOST Sectoral Councils, which have conducted multi-sectoral consultations, DOST agencies and DOST regional offices. The research priorities were evaluated and harmonized by a team from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) and Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) with reference to related national plans, such as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan, the National Climate Change Action Plan, and global initiatives such as the Sustainable Development Goals and Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation are cross-cutting concerns in the health, agriculture, environment, energy and industry sectors.
DOST is a strong advocate of gender equality and women empowerment. Studies demonstrate that gender equality and women’s empowerment are central to economic development as well as environmental sustainability. For example, there is evidence that women play a vital role in dealing with disasters by effectively mobilizing communities in the different phases of the risk-management cycle; thus, their greater involvement would contribute substantively to disaster risk management and reduction. We believe that empowering women must be part of any solution to the challenge of climate change. Women’s voices, responsibilities and knowledge on the environment and the challenges they face will need to be a central part of the adaptive response to a rapidly changing climate.
I understand that to have an effective and productive discussion on climate change, we need to address the deeply rooted inequalities that exist for half of the world’s population. We need to ensure that women from all economic and social standings need to be included in the conversation on climate change policy and resilience plans. A recent study surveying 130 countries has determined that countries with higher female government representation are more prone to implement international environmental treaties. Research has shown that globally, women are more likely to be considered about the climate crisis, but because only a few world leaders are women, there is a lack of representation in climate decisions. Although women in power positions are on the rise, recent studies show that only seven percent (7%) of world leaders and 24 percent (24%) of lawmakers are female, allowing for male leaders in power to continue to call the shots.
Our country will have an election in May and hopefully the Filipino voters will understand the importance of women representation in decision making as espoused in the Magna Carta of Women. We need more women at the frontline of climate change because increasing women’s participation would result in more environmental and productivity gains and would create mutual benefits and greater returns across the sustainable development goals.
Let me end with an inspiring woman, a Kenyan environmentalist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Mathai, who is a powerful example of what female leadership in the climate movement can accomplish. The founder of a reforestation project called the Green Belt Movement, she used her values and beliefs to empower others and set the stage for environmental and social progress in Kenya. “Today we are faced with a challenge that calls for a shift in our thinking, so that humanity stops threatening its life-support system,” Mathai said in her Nobel Lecture “We are called to assist the Earth to heal her wounds.”
Yes, climate change is the challenge of our time. It is our responsibility to take care of our environment and create resilient communities that are able not only to bounce back from disaster, and to do so in a way that ensures inequalities are not heightened but upholds women’s rights and strengthens gender equality.
Thank you very much.
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