Gender inequalities in social protection – people, households and climate

Climate risks place a heavy burden on many households in developing countries, with basic needs such as food, water and shelter threatened. Some people and households finance adaptative measures by using savings and capitalising assets, taking loans from banks and private lenders, while others might receive support from social protection schemes.

Reflecting on a number of examples, this event in IIED’s London office will explore the role of social protection schemes and how they can incorporate climate resilience objectives and respond and to the different needs of women and men.

Women and men in developing countries face diverse challenges in their responses to the impacts of a changing climate. Not only do they need short-term coping mechanisms but in the long term, they must adapt to a new way of life. For households this may mean more expensive seeds, food, machinery or travel to a different place for work.

As not all households are the same, we cannot assume that dual-headed households bear a similar burden to those headed only by women, or that within a household, women and men’s challenges are alike.

This event will explore how these households respond to climate risks. What strategies do women and men deploy, and at what cost? Where there are social protection schemes, are climate resilience objectives accounted for?

Through reflecting on and sharing examples from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Mozambique and elsewhere, an expert panel will reflect on what is needed to move beyond a ‘one size fits all’ approach and develop social protection that responds to the differential needs and priorities of women and men, and in so doing, achieves gender equality and a model that works for all.

About the panellists

Susannah Fisher (chair), the head of research at Climate-KIC

Janna Tenzing, researcher in IIED's climate change group

Shaikh Eskander, research fellow at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics

Simon Anderson, senior fellow in IIED's strategy and learning group

Tracy Kajumba , principal researcher in IIED's climate change group

About attending

We are closely monitoring the coronavirus situation and official guidance from Public Health England, the FCO and the WHO. We will keep you informed if the plan for this event changes at any point. If you have travelled to either Category 1 or 2 areas or countries within 14 days prior to this event, we would kindly request that you do not attend. The discussions will be followed by refreshments and an opportunity to network.

How do I get there? IIED is on Gray's Inn Road in Central London. The closest tube stations are Chancery Lane and Kings Cross.

Is there disabled access? Yes. If you have any questions about attending, please email us at this address: [email protected].

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Tickets: Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please arrive promptly.

Photo: Cash transfer payments in Freetown, Sierra Leone, 2015, by Dominic Chavez/World Bank, via Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0