Management of Environment

Working Group Report on Management of the Environment

By Yolanda Gomez - Day 1, September 22.

1. The working group was attended by 23 participants, 3 women and 20 men coming from a mix of government, non-government, private sector and research institution representatives
2. It was chaired by Dr. Samarakoon with Dr. A. Nishat as facilitator and Ms. Sebe Paul acting as reporter
3. The session started with a number of issues affecting the management of the environment enumerated by the facilitator. Some of the issues identified were health of the ecosystem, conflict resolution on water, habitat management and bio-diversity, etc. The facilitator then asked the group to raise additional issues and elaborate on the same.
4. Early on, I have raised the issue on gender: the need to integrate/mainstream gender concerns in the management of the environment. Towards the end of the workshop I was given the opportunity to present briefly the case study I have prepared on engendering environment management.
5. The presentation centred on the experience of the Department of Environment (Philippines) on gender mainstreaming highlighting certain points related to issues which cropped up during the workshop such as addressing gender concerns in environmental impact assessments; membership of women in protected area management boards; gender parity in community based programs; provision of gender budgets.
6. Other points highlighted were as follows:

• gender mainstreaming means changes
• it involves organisation transformation and client oriented interventions
• gender means addressing the needs of women and men
• it is necessary to take the women’s perspective and experience to attain partnership between women and men

7. In the final presentation of outputs for day 1 (issues and concerns), GENDER was one of those issues identified under the theme management of the environment.

Day 2, September 23rd

1. The same group worked on the identification of policies, strategies and actions to be undertaken based on the issues identified in Day 1. This time the group was composed of 20 participants, 4 women and 16 men.
2. The group went on the task as assigned. Gender was addressed under Goal no.1, which is the adoption of the Eco-systems approach to management of the environment.
3. I feel that given the policies, strategies and actions identified by the group, there is still a need to highlight gender concerns to give emphasis and due recognition of its relevance in pursuing the management of the environment.
4. I have prepared a separate distinct policy, strategy and action plan for gender, presented it to the group and which was approved and endorsed as part of the day 2 (please see attached paper).

Personal Insights:

1. While there were no negative reactions from the group on the integration and mainstreaming of gender concerns in environmental management initiatives, I feel that the group has a limited idea on how to do the integration/mainstreaming aspects and what gender mainstreaming is all about.
2. As such, I strongly suggest that a rapid gender scanning/mapping and analysis be undertaken as part of initial action to have a gauge of how gender mainstreaming is understood by the concerned offices.

Presentation on Integrating/Mainstreaming Gender Concerns in the Management of the Environment

Strategies:

• develop and implement gender sensitive policies, actions and programs
• create the necessary enabling mechanisms for the integration of gender concerns in environmental management
• build up a gender sensitive constituency
• build up institutional and individual capacities on gender and development
• provide the necessary financial assistance for gender mainstreaming

Actions:

• review existing environmental policies, plans and programs
• develop a gender desegregated database as a tool for gender responsive planning
• awareness campaign on gender and development
• conduct of gender training and gender responsive planning
• make gender a component of all environmental management projects/programs
• produce gender information materials and translate into local dialects
• creation of gender focal points groups wherever applicable

Actors:

• local communities
• other government institutions
• local government institutions
• NGO’s