Columbia University, NYC, 2007, 2008, 2009
Download Seminar Syllabus
Download Gender and Energy Presentation
Gender, Climate Change, and Natural Resources Management
A Graduate Seminar for the Masters in Climate and Society and School for International Public Affairs , Columbia University
Instructor: Tara DePorte
Seminar Objective:
To provide students with an introduction to connections between gender and natural resource management through readings, website review, and discussion.
Required Reading:
Please read the following (approximating 40 pages in total). Most of the readings below are downloadable. Remaining readings will be emailed to you directly. Please, do be sure to review all readings before the seminar in that they will be crucial to discussion/activities. It is suggested that they be read in the following order:
1. The Struggle to Govern the Commons (2003)
T. Dietz, E. Ostrom ; P. Stern
Science, 302, pp1907-1912
Downloadable: www.conservationcommons.org/media/document/docu-7e8akm.pdf
2. Women and the Environment (2004), United Nations Environment Programme, ISBN No: 92-807-2442-8 , Selection: Chapters 2 & 6
Full text downloadable: http://www.wedo.org/files/WomenandtheEnvironment.pdf
3. Gender and Collective Action: Policy Implications from Recent Research (2007), L. Pandolfelli, S. Dohrn, and R. Meinzen-Dick., CAPRi Policy Brief 5. Washington DC: IFPRI. January 2007.
Downloadable: http://www.capri.cgiar.org/pdf/polbrief_05.pdf
4. Women as a Major Group Key Policy Action for Mainstreaming Gender in CSD-15 (PDF will be emailed)
5. Changing the Climate: Why Women's Perspectives Matter (2007), Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO)
Downloadable: http://www.wedo.org/library.aspx?ResourceID=180
Recommended Reading:
Common Ground (2003) Women's Access to Natural Resources and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
Downloadable: http://www.wedo.org/library.aspx?ResourceID=9
Gender and Energy for Sustainable Development: A Toolkit and Resource Guide (2004). United Nations Development Programme
Bureau for Development Policy, Energy and Environment Group.
Downloadable: http://www.undp.org/energy/genenergykit/genderengtoolkit.pdf
ENERGY AND GENDER in rural sustainable development
Lambrou, Yianna & Piana, Grazia, 2006. FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Downloadable: ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/010/ai021e/ai021e00.pdf
Gender, Property Rights, and Natural Resources
Meinzen-Dick, Ruth S., Lynn Brown, Hilary Feldstein and Agnes Quisumbing. 1997.. World Development 25 (8) 1303-1315.
Downloadable: www.ifpri.org/divs/fcnd/dp/papers/dp29.pdf
Case study and website search
Please find one short summary of a “case study” concerning gender and natural resources management issues. You do not need to write a report/summary of this case study. Just read the report/summary, bring a hard copy to the seminar and be prepared to share! This could be relating to impacts, program implementation, policy development, or other components of the issues. Some of the websites below may be helpful:
Women’s Environment and Development Organization www.wedo.org
Gender and Water Alliance www.genderandwater.org/
Women in Europe for a common future www.wecf.org/
Gender in Development Program www.undp.org/gender/
Womenwatch www.un.org/womenwatch/
UNICEF www.unicef.org/gender/
Wiki Navigating Gender - UN-INSTRAW Wiki
www.un-instraw.org/wiki/training/index.php/Navigating_Gender
UNIFEM www.womenwarpeace.org/
CGIAR http://www.capri.cgiar.org/themes_gender.asp
ENERGIA www.energia.org/
Energy and Gender for Sustainable Development: A Toolkit www.undp.org/energy/genenergykit/
Questions to think about for discussion
o Does gender matter in natural resources management? Why?
o Is gender a “cultural” issue? How does it affect how we view/interact with our environment? Are these separate?
o Who is impacted by environmental decisions/resource management? Are impacts equal across populations?
o What are some of the “trends” in policy development happening in regards to gender and the environment?
o At what levels is this being accomplished (i.e. local, regional, national)?
o Is it happening with policy? On-the-ground implementation? Impacts? Where?
o In your opinion, what are the policy “next steps” in regards to gender and natural resources management? At what scale? Where do we start?
o In your opinion, what role does and/or can the scientific community play in gender and natural resources management issues?
o When talking about gender—what does it mean?
Climate and Gender
After discussing these questions, we will work to expand upon recommendations/issues pertaining to climate and gender issues. How will climate change affect changes in gender roles and natural resources management? Increased globalization? Other international/regional trends?
