Building Institutional Capacities for Mainstreaming Gender in Climate Action in Jamaica

The impacts of climate change affect people of different genders in unique ways, and women and men have differing capacities to engage in climate action. Although recognized in Jamaica’s Climate Change Policy Framework, a 2017 study revealed that gender issues were not systematically being integrated into climate action in the country. 

Discussions at a gender and climate change workshop held the following year concluded that government actors responsible for climate action lacked understanding of the linkages between gender and climate change. These gaps in information and analysis need to be addressed for effective decision making on climate investments. Furthermore, the institutional mechanisms and capacities for gender-responsive climate action were weak. 

In an effort to address these challenges, the Climate Change Division of the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation submitted a readiness request to the Green Climate Fund Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme. As part of this project, IISD was engaged to lead a team of experts supporting the government in the following activities: 

• Undertaking an institutional capacity assessment to better understand the challenges of and opportunities for gender-responsive climate action. 

• Completing a national gender and climate change assessment to bring together the available evidence on gender issues that are relevant for climate action, provide an overview of practical gender and climate change linkages, and identify areas for action. 

• Developing a Gender and Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (GCCSAP) to advance gender-responsive climate action in Jamaica. 

• Developing communications and training materials to support the rollout of the GCCSAP.