St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN) – St. Kitts and Nevis Interim Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS) Sonia Boddie-Thompson, on International Women’s Day, addressed the need for continued advocacy for gender equality in Climate Action policies.
“Climate Action for the Caribbean Small Island Developing States requires a multi-sectoral and multi-dimensional approach to effectively address its unprecedented challenges. The high level of risk we face and the increasing vulnerability of key economic sectors, livelihoods and environmental spaces similarly require concerted action and a clear determination to be inclusive of the unique voices in the most vulnerable spaces. Gender equality remains one of the most critical requirements of serving the vulnerable most with climate proofing, mitigation and adaptation. Therefore, any action to address the climate crisis should require gender equality to respond to a situation that affects women and girls more accurately.”
Boddie-Thompson made those remarks during the Permanent Council and the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) of the OAS joint meeting on Wednesday, March 8, to commemorate International Women’s Day.
The Interim Rep., in closing, said that St. Kitts and Nevis calls on all Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to embrace the inclusion of gender equality in climate action. SIDS should actively create space for all groups/intersectionalities to develop response mechanisms and metrics for gender-responsive planning.
Boddie-Thompson said climate action should be responsive and in tune with the realities women and girls face as climate change continues to worsen because of inaction. She highlighted some of the work being done in St. Kitts and Nevis to include women and girls in disaster management.
“Since 2013, our National Disaster Plan was designed with a climate, gender and child-sensitive responsive approach to disaster risk reduction. The Plan notes that gender perspective should be mainstream in all disaster management activities, and this approach should include hazard vulnerability and risk assessment, disaster management legislation and policies, disaster management response plans and programs, public education and awareness strategies and campaigns and damage and need assessment and recovery and reconstruction after disasters. This has enabled us to have an all-of-society approach in responding to the needs of the most vulnerable groups in our communities and prioritising their needs pre, during and post-impact of all hazards.”
The Joint Regular Meeting of the OAS Permanent Council and the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) commemorating International Women’s Day was held under the theme “Gender Equality in Climate Action in the Americas.”
