Martine Dorance on Climate Change

OPENING SPEECH OF H.E. MARTINE DORANCE, AMBASSADOR OF FRANCE TO PAKISTAN

DEBATE ON “WOMEN AND CLIMATE CHANGE”

Al-Bab Report

Honorable Members of Parliament,

Dear Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority,

Excellencies,

Dear Colleagues,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are today gathered on the occasion of Women's International Day, whose celebration, given the importance of the topic, extends now to several days, or even weeks.

When talking about gender, we often think of women's empowerment and opportunities, be it through education, in the economy, in the political or media world. More and more also, and this is something new, new in Pakistan but also in most countries in the world including mine, when talking about gender, we need to talk about the links between women and climate change and environment.

In the past few months, I am very pleased to have seen a raising awareness and action regarding climate change in Pakistan. Your presence here today confirms it and honours us. Through the actions of many of you gathered today, and, I want to underline, especially women, things are moving: an exceptional civil society mobilization during and after the COP 21; Parliamentarian debates and initiatives such as the complete solarisation of the Parliament in Islamabad, the first in the world; the recent tree planting campaign launched by the government; the raising awareness within the media which now reports on climate change on a very constant basis.

Who else but you can better talk about this topic? I also think of the women on the ground, the women who live in the mountains and are here today, in direct contact with nature and the impacts of climate change.

Women and gender held a crucial role during the COP21, the Conference on Climate Change which was held in Paris in December last. As you know, the event was inaugurated by a great number of heads of state and government, among them the Prime minister of Pakistan, Mr. Nawaz Sharif. During this 10 days Conference, there was even a day dedicated only to Gender.

The Paris agreement itself in its recitals underlines that, “when taking action to address climate change, [countries will commit] to respect, promote and consider gender equality and empowerment of women”.

Why is this so important? Firstly, women are the primary

victims of climate change, for it is poor communities that are the most vulnerable and suffer the worst of its impacts, and women make up 70% of those in poverty throughout the world.

According to the UN, when a natural disaster strikes a region, the risk of death is 14 times higher for women, mainly because they are not targeted as a priority by disaster warning and prevention programmes.

Climate change also increases the number of constraints on women, who are responsible, in many regions, for providing food, water and fuel for their families. Another worrying fact is that these constraints result in too much household work, which often leads to girls dropping out of school.

It also entails consequences on health, and reproductive health especially.

As the primary victims of climate change, women are also often the main source of solutions. As development experts duly highlight, a climate change programme designed without taking women into account is less effective than the same programme planned with them.

In light of these facts, one thing is certain: women must be placed at the core of national and local climate strategies and at the heart of international climate negotiations.

As France is currently holding the presidency of COP21, it will ensure that.

Since the historical achievement of a universal agreement on climate change, in Paris, about a 100 days ago, we now need to sustain the momentum.

While 2015 was the year of negotiation and mobilization, this 2016 should be that of action and implementation.

In Pakistan, France will stay committed and expand its actions of cooperation and will continue to organize a series of events to raise awareness:

-the French Agency for Development, AFD, which currently focuses mainly on green energy, especially on hydroelectricity, will expand the scope of its projects particularly in climate change mitigation and adaption throughout the year;

- France is supporting the creation of a civil society platform, "a climate change coalition", to gather forces and expertise in the subject, and I am happy to see many of its members present today;

- France is also helping to build scientific bridges, between, for example, the Pakistan Meteorological Department and Meteo France, and is in the process of helping to create a “Pakistani IPCC” (Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change), a scientists platform working exclusively on Climate change.

- Several events will be organized during the course of the year to raise awareness:

- Among others, a second big moot on climate change will be

organized as a follow up to the Climate Change Lahore Forum,  before the COP22,  which will take stock of the Paris conclusions and look at the new commitments of Pakistan, which has promised a new INDC (intended nationally determined contribution);

- Awareness in schools will be continued, especially through the painting competitions organized by the government in the whole of Pakistan;

-Trainings sessions on climate change for a diverse public will be prolonged.

I am sure the debate today will be of high quality. Its aim is to raise awareness on the subject, be it from a more political and institutional perspective, in the first part of this event, as eminent speakers, Senator Sherry Rehman and the Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority, General Asghar Nawaz, will share their expertise and ideas with us.

Or be it from a civil society perspective, starting with the CEO of Mountain and Glaciers Protection Organisation, Mrs. Aisha Khan, who was in Paris during the COP21, or Mrs. Aqeela Bano and Farman Ali, both from Hunza, who lead the carpentry program supported by France together with the Aga Khan Foundation, and also went to Paris to represent the feminine voices of Pakistan. I am glad also to have among us Mr. Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, CEO of LEAD Pakistan, who will conclude the session today, as a follow up to a first workshop held on the same topic three weeks back at LEAD.

Finally, let me conclude by saying this event is also aimed at presenting another face of the Women of Pakistan: women who fight for their ideas, women who are carpenters, women who climb the Everest at the age of 21 and the seven summits in the world. Let me here give a special thank you to Mrs Samina Baig for her presence and voice among us.To all, I wish a fruitful debate!