Fossil of the Day: Saudi Arabia in Hot Water over Gender

Saudi Arabia stood in triumphant dishonour this evening, in recognition for their efforts to sneak prejudice into the negotiating text. The infamous daily Fossil award was granted to Saudi Arabia for their attack on gender-responsive climate policy over the last four days.

The Saudi delegation is demanding the exclusion of gender-specific language from the draft agreement. A storm broke out in the negotiating room yesterday when Saudi Arabia motioned to replace the language of “gender equality” with “gender balance”, effectively reducing the force of the text.

Saudi pushed hard against the argument that gender-responsive content is necessary for ensuring that in locations where women are more at risk from climate change the conflict is specifically addressed.

Women are more susceptible to climate change in many regions of the world, and in rural areas specially. The effects of climate change will exacerbate existing problems for all vulnerable groups, more deeply entrenching present inequalities. Women make up the majority of the world´s poor and are more dependent on natural resources that are threatened by climate change for their livelihoods. They face additional social, economic and political barriers as well that limit their ability to adapt.

Bullying tactics won out in the end during yesterday’s discussion of the implementation process. Where gender-sensitive language once covered the length of the text, it is now only in the preamble. Only Mexico battled to the end for the inclusion of gender equality, while the EU stood in support of the motion to exclude and other nations stood idly by.