A two-step approach to integrating gender justice into mitigation policy: Examples from India

Journal article, 2019

Concerns over social justice cannot be separated from concerns over the environment, and vice-versa. Gender in the climate change literature is predominantly vulnerability and adaptation centric, with a glaring gap in research on understanding the relationship between mitigation and gender justice. Building on the insights from gender justice, environmental justice, and climate justice scholarship, this paper argues that mitigation policy should be conceived not only in terms of transition to a low carbon economy but also as an instrument for enhancing gender justice. To conceptualize such a mitigation policy, we propose a two-step approach, combining the works of Schlosberg, Fraser, and Sen. We argue that, to start with, it is important to identify relevant forms of exclusion, and then, in turn, to identify opportunities for ‘parity of participation’ of women in the mitigation policy cycle. This must be supplemented with identification of, and efforts at, building long-lasting supporting capabilities. Application of the proposed approach is illustrated through three examples from India: the National REDD+ Strategy, the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojna (PMUY) for cleaner fuels, and the International Solar Training Programme (Solar Mamas). We illustrate how the Solar Mamas scheme is closer to the proposed two-step approach and hence better integrates mitigation and gender justice objectives, whereas the REDD+ and the PMUY need revisiting with additional provisions and reconceptualization. The paper suggests that mainstreaming of gender justice into implementation of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement is a promising new field of research.

Key policy insights

Failure to consider gendered barriers to meaningful participation of women may limit the effectiveness of even women-centric mitigation policies in achieving their stated objectives.

It is possible to at least nudge the social drivers of gender injustice by identifying and creating opportunities for addressing the androcentric foundations of exclusion and marginalization of women.

Mitigation policies offer unique opportunities to go beyond highlighting the structures of gender injustices embedded in socio-economic systems to break the stereotypes of gendered-roles by recognizing women as key stakeholders and claimants in the new low-carbon society.

This would require reconceptualizing capacity building for mitigation.