TITLE
Working Group on Feminist Climate Policy
DESCRIPTION
The Idea is – to create a working Group, which will specialize on a Topic “Feminist Climate Policy”. (could as well be implemented as just Feminist Foreign Policy or any other Related topic. The main thing - is to create a Working Group, where different Actors could collaborate to work on a Problem)
The Idea described below is to implement on Local (National) German Level, but could as well be implemented on EU or International Level.
WHY IMPORTANT
1) Climate Change is not Gender neutral: women and men are experiencing climate change differently. Yes, women are being affected by the climate change crisis much harder than men. And this is despite men being much more responsible for the climate change.
2) "Government policies are also not neutral" [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/07349165.1996.9725883] and women should be more involved in decision-making and implementation processes.
GOALS
1) Grow Awareness on Topic
2) Developing Knowledge
3) Address Problems – Find Solutions
4) Knowledge-experience Exchange and further discussion/implementation
SOME HISTORY
There was a Working Group in German Parliament - Feministische Politik (Feminist Policy) from 9.2.1999 till ca. 2005.
Now the only Topic-Similar Groups are: Environment, Nature Protection, Construction and Nuclear Security (Umwelt, Naturschutz, Bau und Reaktorsicherheit); Family, Seniors, Women and Youth (Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend) and Foreign Affairs (Auswärtiges), which means that neither of Feminist Foreign Policy or Feminist Climate Policy are not in the Focus now. [https://www.bundestag.de/resource/blob/281058/a2cc0ddb1a581bc7d1dbeae1e…]
ACTORS / STRUCTURE OF A PROVIDED WORKING GROUP
1) Politicians (providing access to decision making processes), fE: German Federal Land Parliaments, German Parliament, EU Parliament etc.
2) International Organisations (providing access to international decision-making processes), fE: UN, National Council of German Women’s Organizations etc.
3) Media (providing Awareness and public discussion), fR: Independent and National Media, Bloggers
4) Experts (Academia/ThinkTanks) (providing knowledge and expertise), fE: Political Foundations, Research Institutes (such as Stockholm Environment Institute or European Institute for Gender Equality), German and EU Universities
5) Activists (providing awareness): Movements against Climate Change, Feminist Movements
6) Entrepreneurs (not necessarily, but could be a good point of Feedback on Climate Change/Paris Agreement Impact on Business or National/Global Economy, also providing ideas of Corporate sustainability and Equality at Work)
FUNCTIONS/PROCESS
Are as mentioned above and also:
1) Building Possible Scenario Plans
2) Expertise, Policies/Ideas Exchange
3) Expert Analysis on Current Situation/Problems
4) Feminist Forums/Conferences on CC
WHAT DO WE ALSO NEED
More women in Parliaments/Politics/Decision-Making
EXAMPLE AND HOW IT WORKED
(not a working group, but a collaboration of Media, Politics and Activism)
“Berlin dropped the tax rate on tampons and sanitary pads from 19% to 7% following an online campaign last year.”
“Eine Online-Petition des Start-ups Einhorn, das für vegane Kondome bekannt ist, in Kooperation mit dem Online-Magazin „Neon“ hat in rund vier Wochen mehr als 81.000 Unterschriften gesammelt und damit das notwendige Quorum von 50.000 Unterzeichnern erreicht. Nun muss sich der Petitionsausschuss damit befassen. Eine weitere Online-Petition, gerichtet an das Finanz- und Familienministerium, kann mittlerweile sogar schon fast 170.000 Unterschriften vorweisen. Initiiert wurde sie von den Hamburgerinnen Yasemin Kotra und Nanna-Josephine Roloff. Sie fordern: „Die Periode ist kein Luxus – senken Sie die Tamponsteuer“
• https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/tampon-petition-schafft-es-in-de…
• https://epetitionen.bundestag.de/petitionen/_2019/_02/_09/Petition_9101…
• https://einhorn.my/keinluxus/
• https://www.dw.com/en/higher-tampon-prices-on-horizon-despite-german-ta…
• https://www.dw.com/en/tampon-tax-germany-menstruation/a-51154597
• https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/12/world/europe/tampon-tax-germany.html
GLOSSARY AND ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
• #GENDER IMPACT ASSESSMENT - the process of comparing and assessing, according to gender relevant criteria, the current situation and trend with the expected development resulting from the introduction of the proposed policy / is the estimation of the different effects (positive, negative or neutral) of any policy or activity implemented to specific items in terms of gender equality. [https://eige.europa.eu/gender-mainstreaming/toolkits/gender-impact-asse…]
• #GENDER RELATIONS - Specific subset of social relations uniting women and men as social groups in a particular community, including how power – and access to/control over resources – is distributed between the sexes. [https://eige.europa.eu/thesaurus/terms/1207]
• “A gender impact assessment aids the process of decision making because it serves to clarify the possible effects of certain policy on emancipation processes before the decision to implement the policy is finally taken.” [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/07349165.1996.9725883]
• "Evidence shows that women’s empowerment and advancing gender equality can deliver results across a variety of sectors, including food and economic security and health. It can also lead to more environmentally friendly decision making at household and national levels." [https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/gender-and-climate-change]
• "Groups and organizations outside of parliament can also employ gender impact assessment to their own advantage. They can use gender impact assessment in their lobbying activities, but they could also carry out a gender impact assessment themselves." [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/07349165.1996.9725883]
Feel free to contact, discuss, and comment.