Gendered policies for climate action

Abstract

A gendered perspective of climate action has not dominated Maltese discourse, possibly because there are other priorities in the gender equality agenda which are considered as more urgent and topical. From a gender analysis, attention is more likely to fall on domestic violence, femicide, women in decision-making positions, family-work balance, and women’s rights. Whilst the situation of climate change has had an impact on differences in temperatures, thus creating changes to agricultural produce, their pricing policies, and the cost of energy to cool and heat homes, the discourse has not yet turned to how these may be affecting women and men differently. The number of single mothers has increased, the number of female pensioners is higher than men, women are more likely to be at risk of poverty, and the gender pay gap and the gender pension gap remain; these are all known facts, but to equate these with the impact of climate change has not made any impression on the discussion surrounding gender equality. Gender-disaggregated data, to support such claims as to the impact of climate change on gender equality, are not officially available.