NEW YORK (July 3, 2014)-– On behalf of the Global Gender and Climate Alliance, WEDO’s Bridget Burns attended the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) Partnership Forum, specifically sitting in the Observer seat of the Pilot Programme on Climate Resilience (PPCR), in addition to attending other meetings in Montego Bay, Jamaica during the period of June 21-28.

At least two other GGCA CSO members were in attendance for the Partnership Forum, Nisha Onta (WOCAN) and Cecile Ndjebet (REFACOF).

The full schedule of meetings is outlined below:

Standing Committee on Finance Forum, June 21-22
Stakeholder Day, June 22
CIF Partnership Forum, June 23-24
Trust Fund Committee and Sub-Committee Meetings, June 25-28

Gender in the CIF

CIF Gender Plan of Action

In relation to gender in the CIF, the main outcome was the approval of the CIF Gender Action Plan (FY16-FY16). The Action Plan was developed by the newly hired Gender Focal Point in the CIF AU, Senior Social Development Specialist, Anne T. Kuriakose, in partnership with the gender specialists of the multilateral development banks. The plan, released on June 4^th was presented on Wednesday, June 25^th and approved by the Joint CTF/STF Committee. Main elements of the plan include:

• CIF Gender Action Plan FY15-16 seeks to mainstream gender in CIF policy and programming in support of gender equality goals via: (i) policy, (ii) program support, (iii) analytical work, (iv) monitoring & reporting, (v) knowledge & learning, (vi) additional MDB activities;
• Plan to be implemented as joint effort of pilot countries, MDBs, and CIF AU; spearheaded by Sr. Gender Specialist together with CIF Gender Working Group of MDB representatives;
• Plan will build on existing MDB gender policies & safeguard measures, while undertaking closer monitoring of activities, generation of new knowledge, and enhancement of shared learning on gender in the CIF.

Gender and the CIF- Side Event

On Monday, June 23^rd, as part of the CIF Partnership Forum ‘Stakeholder Day’, the CIF AU hosted a side event on ‘Gender and the CIF’ with the following panelists;

• Anne Kuriakose, Sr. Social Development Specialist
• Dominique Lallement- International Development Consultant
• Joyce Cacho- Gender and Agribusiness, African Union
• Sonomi Tanaka- Gender Specialist, Asia Development Bank
• Awatif Al-shargabi- Gender Specialist, Government of Yemen
• Claudio Altorre-Inter-American Development Bank

The presentations made a strong case for how and why to integrate a gender analysis to the CIF project design and implementation, with a particular focus on mitigation and renewable energy. They highlighted a few challenges:

• While gender considerations are being included in some projects of the CIF (and in general among the MDBs) the number varies significantly when looked at across programs, particularly in relation to technology projects and private sector projects;
• ADB presented their categorization of reviewing gender in their projects, from gender-blind to gender-equitable; findings that while many fall in the middle, recognizing gender considerations, not many which have the measures in place to provide equal/ transformative opportunities- challenge of gender mainstreaming;
• Women are still being cemented in terms of ‘vulnerability’
• Some successful shares such as from a wind energy project of the IDB, as well as the Government of Yemen’s PPCR development and the inclusion of gender (NOTE: A report of Gender Mainstreaming in Yemen’s project can be found here).

WEDO on behalf of the GGCA participated as a Respondent, at the end of the session we shared three points 1) on the crucial need for the correct mandates to be put in place to ensure guidelines, and reporting mechanisms for this information—highlighting GGCA advocacy work; 2) the lack of cohesion with the national / regional projects which take on gender issues being reflected in the discussions on technology and mitigation in the UNFCCC, and 3) need for the CIF to utilize its ‘Learning by Doing’ culture to champion projects which incorporate gender, and feed into the culture of the Green Climate Fund.

Conclusion and Next Steps

In conclusion, it was a very important meeting in terms of laying a foundation for gender as well as for learning, sharing, and networking. The Partnership Forum included plenary sessions and side panels on topics crucial to climate finance and low-carbon development. In addition, a Knowledge Bazaar enabled attendees to exchange ideas and participate in interactive learning activities.

For more on the Partnership Forum, you can find written reports and photographs for this meeting here at www.iisd.ca/climate/cif/pf/2014/.