Inside the Just Transition and women, and how its intertwined with emancipation

SINCE 1994, South Africa has made substantive progress in advancing the rights of women, strengthening their representation in decision-making positions and developing gender-responsive policies and legislation.

- LINDIWE JOHNSON

However there remains critical gaps to be addressed through public policy, institutional frameworks and implementation.

Last week we marked our National Women’s Day as a stark reminder that the struggle for gender equality and women’s emancipation is yet to be won. In this context, the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) is expected to deliver bold, intersectional leadership.

The link between climate change and gender equality is undeniable, impacting essentials such as food, shelter, and livelihoods. It’s crucial that national climate policies, such as the nationally determined contributions (NDCs), incorporate gender-responsive actions to advance gender equality in this era of climate vulnerability.

The current revision of South Africa’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) which targets ten sectors (i) water; (ii) agriculture; (iii) biodiversity; (iv) forestry; (v) disaster risk reduction; (vi) energy and mining; (vii) transport; (viii) human settlements; (ix) waste; and (x) health, is an opportunity to review the inclusion of gender, and our commitment to the global climate diplomacy, as well as national policies that frame our national climate change response.

At the occasion of the department budget speech last month, Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and People with Disabilities of South Africa Sindisiwe Chikunga reaffirmed the constitutional rights of vulnerable groups and laid out several initiatives for economic inclusion, but the budget fell conspicuously silent on one of the greatest challenges of our time: the climate crisis and its unequal social impacts.