Gender Equality

Climate Change and Gender

AIC’s Climate Change Task Team (ACT2)

In response to ever-increasing scientific predictions that half of the world’s population could face climate-induced food shortages of vast proportions and within AIC’s mission of broadening society’s knowledge and use of science and agriculture, AIC convened a Climate Change Task Team in 2010 within its International Twinning Partnership Program.

Composed of volunteer members, the mandate of ACT2 is to:

• bring current, credible knowledge, skills, insight and a global perspective to the AIC International Program and its project partners
• make and maintain global contacts with others working on climate change
• promote networking and knowledge sharing within AIC international projects on climate change adaptation and mitigation
• provide assistance to projects on aspects of projects related to climate change (identifying results and measurable indicators; developing methodology for participatory research; connecting with organizations that can provide knowledge or assistance?)
• provide project partners and program staff with advice, guidance and insight to incorporate climate change into project proposals
• determine the appropriateness and viability of steps to broaden work on climate change within AIC.

The objectives of ACT2 are:

1. To strengthen the capacity of AIC and its partners to understand climate change and to respond with appropriate program and project plans to adapt to or mitigate against climate change.
2. To determine if climate change is adequately addressed within existing AIC policies, and/or if not to determine AIC support for an organizational policy specific to climate change.

ACT2 has produced country specific resource handbooks for each participating project country. Information includes the use of introductory principles in climate change, current and climate change projected crop calendars, projected climate impacts and appropriate responses in sustainable agriculture, introductory participatory adaptation tools, and links to country specific reports of firmest scientific and organizational standing. All handbooks were reviewed amongst partners to ensure the validity of peer-reviewed information.

The membership of the ACT2 includes 3 women (23%) and 10 men. Seven of the members are based in Canada, two in Sri Lanka, one in Ethiopia, one in Vietnam, one in Nepal, and one in Ghana.

At a workshop for Canadian ACT2 members held in October 2010, members participated in an examination of climate change from a gender perspective at one of the sessions. A PowerPoint presentation is available on request.