Statement by H.E. Ambassador YAMANAKA Osamu, Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations, at the GOF Climate Change
2023/3/27
Thank you Chairs,
I would like to thank the Ambassadors of Morocco and France for convening this Friends Group to discuss the interconnections between climate change and gender.
Japan recognizes the importance of women's empowerment in every field. Japan has been engaged in promoting women's empowerment, gender equality, and women's participation and inclusion in decision-making processes, both domestically and internationally.
With regard to the interconnections between climate change and gender, we are fully aware of the analysis that the higher the participation rate of women, the better the performance of climate change initiatives, and that women's active participation is key to promoting a zero-emission society.
One of our efforts in this regard was the establishment of the World Assembly for Women (WAW!) starting in 2014 to discuss various issues concerning gender. At the 6th WAW! held last December, panelists discussed a green society and decarbonization through the lens of gender. Based on these discussions, Japan has been working to promote women's empowerment and gender equality in the area of climate change, as well as other related areas, such as disaster risk reduction, peacebuilding, politics, digitalization, and education in STEM fields.
Japan has also been mainstreaming gender perspectives into its ODA policy. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is committed to mainstreaming gender in its development projects in such areas as energy, disaster risk reduction, and environmental conservation, which are all closely related to climate change. The aim is to promote gender equality and women's empowerment in all stages of a project, from planning and implementation, to monitoring and evaluation.
In energy-related projects, for instance, JICA takes into account differing energy needs and ways of using energy between women and men, with a view to developing a long-term energy plan and master plan for energy conservation and renewable energy that fully reflects women’s perspectives. Realizing a society in which women can maximize their potential through their participation in decision-making processes on energy policy can not only contribute to the sustainable use of energy resources, but also to building a more inclusive and resilient society.
Japan has also been working with international organizations such as UN-Women, to which Japan has contributed 250 million US dollars to support women and girls who are vulnerable to the effects of climate change and natural disasters. These funds have been utilized to empower women and girls in Uganda, Somalia, and Morocco. In a project in Uganda to promote the use of climate-smart agricultural technologies, for example, knowledge and skills in food production were improved among 1,000 women and girls who adopted the use of improved, drought-resistant guava and green gram seedlings.
Toward further gender mainstreaming, Prime Minister Kishida has expressed his intention to promote discussions incorporating a gender perspective at the G7 Summit and various ministerial meetings during its presidency, and the Government of Japan will continue to vigorously promote gender equality and the empowerment of women.
Thank you.
I would like to thank the Ambassadors of Morocco and France for convening this Friends Group to discuss the interconnections between climate change and gender.
Japan recognizes the importance of women's empowerment in every field. Japan has been engaged in promoting women's empowerment, gender equality, and women's participation and inclusion in decision-making processes, both domestically and internationally.
With regard to the interconnections between climate change and gender, we are fully aware of the analysis that the higher the participation rate of women, the better the performance of climate change initiatives, and that women's active participation is key to promoting a zero-emission society.
One of our efforts in this regard was the establishment of the World Assembly for Women (WAW!) starting in 2014 to discuss various issues concerning gender. At the 6th WAW! held last December, panelists discussed a green society and decarbonization through the lens of gender. Based on these discussions, Japan has been working to promote women's empowerment and gender equality in the area of climate change, as well as other related areas, such as disaster risk reduction, peacebuilding, politics, digitalization, and education in STEM fields.
Japan has also been mainstreaming gender perspectives into its ODA policy. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is committed to mainstreaming gender in its development projects in such areas as energy, disaster risk reduction, and environmental conservation, which are all closely related to climate change. The aim is to promote gender equality and women's empowerment in all stages of a project, from planning and implementation, to monitoring and evaluation.
In energy-related projects, for instance, JICA takes into account differing energy needs and ways of using energy between women and men, with a view to developing a long-term energy plan and master plan for energy conservation and renewable energy that fully reflects women’s perspectives. Realizing a society in which women can maximize their potential through their participation in decision-making processes on energy policy can not only contribute to the sustainable use of energy resources, but also to building a more inclusive and resilient society.
Japan has also been working with international organizations such as UN-Women, to which Japan has contributed 250 million US dollars to support women and girls who are vulnerable to the effects of climate change and natural disasters. These funds have been utilized to empower women and girls in Uganda, Somalia, and Morocco. In a project in Uganda to promote the use of climate-smart agricultural technologies, for example, knowledge and skills in food production were improved among 1,000 women and girls who adopted the use of improved, drought-resistant guava and green gram seedlings.
Toward further gender mainstreaming, Prime Minister Kishida has expressed his intention to promote discussions incorporating a gender perspective at the G7 Summit and various ministerial meetings during its presidency, and the Government of Japan will continue to vigorously promote gender equality and the empowerment of women.
Thank you.