Gender and Climate Change Action Plan of the Republic of Haiti

Gender and Climate Change Action Plan of the Republic of Haiti Ministry of the Environment December 2024 © 2024 Ministry of the Environment of Haiti All rights reserved with regard to any form of commercial or for-profit reproduction or translation. Cover photo: iStock This report is the product of a joint initiative between the Ministry of the Environment of Haiti, through its Climate Change Directorate, and the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Global Network, which is hosted by the International Institute of Sustainable Development. It was prepared with the financial support of Global Affairs Canada. Any opinions stated herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policies or opinions of the NAP Global Network, its funders or Network participants. Suggested citation Ministry of the Environment of Haiti, Climate Change Directorate. (2024). Gender and climate change action plan of the Republic of Haiti. NAP Global Network, International Institute of Sustainable Development. About the NAP Global Network The NAP Global Network was created in 2014 to support developing countries in advancing their NAP processes and help accelerate adaptation efforts around the world. To achieve this, the Network facilitates South–South peer learning and exchange, supports national-level action on NAP formulation and implementation, and generates, synthesizes, and shares knowledge. The Network’s members include individual participants from more than 155 countries involved in developing and implementing national adaptation plans. Financial support for the Network has been provided by Austria, Canada, Germany, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Secretariat is hosted by the International Institute of Sustainable Development. For more information, visit www. napglobalnetwork.org. This project is undertaken with the financial support of: Ce projet a été réalisé avec l’appui financier de : Secretariat hosted by: Secrétariat hébergé par : Acknowledgements The production of this Gender and Climate Change Action Plan was made possible by the invaluable contribution of many actors and partners. We would like to express our deep gratitude to the NAP Global Network and to the International Institute of Sustainable Development for its technical and financial support. This process was enabled through the financial support of Global Affairs Canada. In addition, we thank Jacky Paul, national consultant and author of this document, for his hard work and dedication. We also wish to express our gratitude to the sectoral ministry representatives, civil society organization representatives, local populations, and communities who participated actively in this process and have made a commitment to addressing gender and climate change adaptation issues. We salute the Climate Change Directorate and the National Gender and Climate Change Focal Point for their leadership and their commitment to an inclusive, gender-sensitive approach. Even though women are the most vulnerable group to climate change impacts, their concerns are not always factored into public policy. Women and men are affected differently by climate change impacts due to their different social roles, their unequal access to resources, and their differentiated adaptation capacities. Mainstreaming gender into Haiti’s climate change adaptation policies is essential to meeting these challenges and ensuring an effective, inclusive response to environmental issues. Haiti’s Gender and Climate Change Action Plan was developed to address these gender inequalities through the implementation of the NAP. By adopting a gender-sensitive approach to climate change adaptation policy, Haiti can improve its overall resilience and promote gender equality. This Gender and Climate Change Action Plan is a collective, cross-sectoral effort to fully mainstream gender into adaptation policies and initiatives. Together, we have laid the foundation for an integrated, equitable response to climate change in Haiti. Gender and Climate Change Action Plan of the Republic of Haiti Ministry of the Environment December 2024 Gender and Climate Change Action Plan of the Republic of Haiti iv Executive Summary The Gender and Climate Change Action Plan was developed with the aim of meeting the objectives of the Republic of Haiti to mainstream gender equality into the implementation of its national adaptation plan (NAP). It aims to operationalize two primary goals of the NAP: 1. “implement large-scale gender-sensitive programs and projects aimed at increasing resilience to adverse climatic conditions in the priority sectors of the NAP 2. strengthen human capital, particularly that of women and girls, for adaptation planning at the level of the local and regional authorities that are most vulnerable to climate change.”1 In concrete terms, the aim is to implement gender-responsive institutional arrangements and adaptation projects during the 2022–2030 period covered by the NAP. This objective will be achieved by working on four priority areas for action: 1. development of a knowledge management and capacity-building program for a gender responsive NAP process 2. awareness raising and communication on gender-responsive climate change adaptation 3. gender-sensitive budgeting 4. establishment of a monitoring, evaluation, and learning framework for the mainstreaming of gender into NAP implementation. These areas for action are aligned with the gender strategy devised during the NAP process and with other Haitian strategy documents such as the National Climate Change Policy and the Gender Equality Policy 2014–2034. The Gender and Climate Change Action Plan consists of 11 priority actions or activities. Six of these priority activities are categorized as imperative tasks of utmost priority: • develop a training program on gender mainstreaming in sectoral climate change adaptation policy • train the gender focal points and/or the Ministerial Gender Units (MGUs) in gender responsive NAP implementation • develop and implement an awareness-raising program on the mainstreaming of gender into sectoral climate change adaptation policies • draw up and implement a plan to mobilize gender-sensitive funding • introduce budget lines for gender mainstreaming at the national and local levels • mainstream gender, particularly gender-sensitive indicators, into the monitoring, evaluation, and learning framework of the NAP. 1 The original text in French reads: “Mettre en œuvre des programmes et projets d’envergure sensibles au genre visant l’augmentation de la résilience aux conditions climatiques adverses dans les secteurs prioritaires du PNA. Renforcer le capital humain, notamment celui des femmes et des filles, pour la planification de l’adaptation à l’échelle des collectivités territoriales les plus vulnérables aux changements climatiques.” Gender and Climate Change Action Plan of the Republic of Haiti v The five other activities are classified as essential tasks to be undertaken after the imperative tasks: • provide periodic reports on the mainstreaming of gender into adaptation policy. • establish a framework for monitoring public investment in gender mainstreaming and adaptation. • disseminate the results obtained through a gender-responsive approach to climate change adaptation action. • ensure the functioning of the Gender and Climate Working Group comprising the MGUs. • incorporate gender equality and women’s empowerment into national and local plans, policies, and legal frameworks for climate change adaptation. The National Gender and Climate Change Focal Point and the Climate Change Directorate of the Ministry of the Environment will play a key role in implementing the Gender and Climate Change Action Plan. To achieve the action plan’s objectives, these entities will create synergies with the other sectoral ministries of the NAP, the Gender and Climate Working Group of the National Committee on Climate Change, local government bodies, and other civil society stakeholders. For the implementation of the Gender and Climate Change Action Plan, the Republic of Haiti will have to rely on internal funding mechanisms through the national budget, as well as external financing through multilateral climate funds and bilateral cooperation. The funding required to implement the Gender and Climate Change Action Plan is estimated at USD 1,650,000 for the 2025–2030 period. Gender and Climate Change Action Plan of the Republic of Haiti vi Table of Contents 1 Introduction............................................................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Background to the Development of the Action Plan........................................................................................... 1 1.2 Methodology for the Development of the Action Plan.......................................................................................2 2 Gender in International Climate Negotiations......................................................................................................5 2.1 Gender Issues in International Law....................................................................................................................................5 2.2 Gender Issues in International Environmental Law...............................................................................................5 2.3 Gender Issues in International Climate Negotiations ........................................................................................6 3 Institutional Framework for Gender Mainstreaming in Haitian Public Policy.......................................8 3.1 The Constitution................................................................................................................................................................................8 3.2 Gender Equality Policy 2014–2034 .................................................................................................................................8 3.3 National Climate Change Policy..........................................................................................................................................9 3.4 Nationally Determined Contribution................................................................................................................................9 3.5 National Adaptation Plan ....................................................................................................................................................10 4 Gender Inequality and Climate Change Adaptation in Haiti ......................................................................12 4.1 Agriculture and Gender............................................................................................................................................................ 12 4.2 Water Resources and Gender............................................................................................................................................. 13 4.3 Health and Gender ..................................................................................................................................................................... 13 4.4 Infrastructure and Gender.................................................................................................................................................... 13 5 Actors Involved in Gender Issues and Climate Change Adaptation........................................................14 5.1 State Actors.......................................................................................................................................................................................14 5.2 Civil Society.......................................................................................................................................................................................15 5.3 International Partners................................................................................................................................................................15 5.4 Influence and Interest of the Stakeholders Identified....................................................................................15 6 Gender and Climate Change Action Plan ............................................................................................................20 6.1 Objectives of the Action Plan ............................................................................................................................................ 20 6.2 Priority Areas for Action......................................................................................................................................................... 20 7 Implementation, Monitoring, and Evaluation of the Action Plan...............................................................26 8 Funding of the Action Plan..........................................................................................................................................30 9 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................................33 References ............................................................................................................................................................................... 34 Gender and Climate Change Action Plan of the Republic of Haiti vii Acronyms and Abbreviations CIFs Climate Investment Funds GCF Green Climate Fund MGU Ministerial Gender Unit MoSCoW must have, should have, could have, won’t have NAP national adaptation plan NDC nationally determined contribution PNCC National Climate Change Policy UFGE Umbrella Facility for Gender Equality UNCCD United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNEP United Nations Environment Programme UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Gender and Climate Change Action Plan of the Republic of Haiti viii 1 Introduction 1.1 Background to the Development of the Action Plan Climate change poses a major challenge for sustainable development and the survival of terrestrial ecosystems. The Republic of Haiti, with its dual status as a least developed country and a Small Island Developing State, is among the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In 2023, it ranked 169th out of 185 on the University of Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative vulnerability index (2024). The country’s socio-economic development efforts are generally undermined by the shocks of extreme weather events. Given its high degree of vulnerability, Haiti urgently needs to implement policies for adapting to climate change. In this context, the Republic of Haiti has executed a number of adaptation planning initiatives for more than two decades now, including the National Action Plan for Climate Change Adaptation (2006), the Strategic Program for Climate Resilience (2012), the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) (2015 and 2022), the National Climate Change Policy (2019) and the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) (2022). Through these climate plans and strategies, the country has addressed some of the issues surrounding the implementation of adaptation policy, notably the inclusion of vulnerable groups and the participation of youth and women. During the development of the NAP, its most recent document dealing with climate change, the Republic of Haiti conducted a study on the mainstreaming of gender into the implementation of the plan (Hyppolite, 2022). This study proposed a strategy to address issues related to gender and climate change adaptation. Concurrently, with support from the NAP Global Network, a rapid gender and adaptation analysis (Ministry of the Environment of the Republic of Haiti, 2023), a training needs assessment, and a series of training sessions on gender and adaptation issues were carried out. Prior to these processes, Haiti mainstreamed gender into its second NDC in 2021 (Milien, 2021), created a Gender and Climate Working Group within the National Committee on Climate Change, and set up a Gender and Climate Platform incorporating the focal points of other sectoral ministries. These processes identified the obstacles hindering the gender responsiveness of adaptation policy and proposed possible solutions to this issue. The study entitled Intégration du genre dans la mise en œuvre du PNA (Hyppolite, 2022) proposed a gender and adaptation strategy, but this proposal was not taken up by the Haitian authorities and was not followed by the development and implementation of an action plan. The proposed strategy did, however, provide a solid basis for the development of the present action plan, which will enable Haitian decision-makers to gain a coherent overall view of the issue and to take the necessary steps to create gender-responsive adaptation policies. It is against this backdrop that the Ministry of the Environment of Haiti, through its National Gender and Climate Change Focal Point to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), has created its Gender Gender and Climate Change Action Plan of the Republic of Haiti 1 and Climate Change Action Plan. The mission to support the development of the action plan benefits from the assistance of the NAP Global Network. The action plan for mainstreaming gender into adaptation policy can be seen as a roadmap for the gender equality activities that Haitian authorities are to develop in the context of NAP implementation. Its aim is to make adaptation activities gender sensitive and transformative, and therefore more effective, efficient, and successful. 1.2 Methodology for the Development of the Action Plan The Gender and Climate Change Action Plan was developed using a participatory, iterative approach. This methodological choice guided the formulation of the objectives of the action plan while ensuring stakeholder involvement and input. The development of the Gender and Climate Change Action Plan comprised the following four additional steps: 1. Inventory and Analysis of Existing Policy The first step involved analyzing the various documents available on gender responsiveness in public policy and, in particular, on climate change adaptation in Haiti. Notable examples include the following: • Gender Equality Policy 2014–2034 (Ministry of the Status of Women and Women’s Rights of the Republic of Haiti, 2014). • Prise en compte de la dimension genre dans les initiatives de lutte contre les changements climatiques (Lindor, 2016). • National Climate Change Policy (Ministry of the Environment of the Republic of Haiti, 2019). • Intégration de l’aspect genre dans la contribution déterminée au niveau national (Milien, 2021). • Intégration du genre dans la mise en œuvre du PNA (Hyppolite, 2022). • National Adaptation Plan (Republic of Haiti, 2022). • Toward a Gender-Responsive National Adaptation Plan Process in Haiti. Summary of the Gender Analysis of the National Adaptation Plan Process in Haiti Undertaken in 2023 (Ministry of the Environment of the Republic of Haiti, 2023). 2. Initial Draft of the Action Plan The assessment of the existing documents and institutional framework identified gender gaps in adaptation from a technical and institutional point of view. It also highlighted entry points for gender mainstreaming and priority areas for action to fill these gaps. The prioritization of these elements according to their urgency, their relevance to the Haitian government and the existence of available, accessible sources of funding made it possible to produce an initial draft of the Gender and Climate Change Action Plan. Gender and Climate Change Action Plan of the Republic of Haiti 2 3. Stakeholder Consultation Using the initial draft of the Gender and Climate Change Action Plan, consultations2 were undertaken with the various key stakeholders involved in gender issues and climate change adaptation. The first step involved submitting the initial draft of the action plan to the sponsors, namely, the National Gender and Climate Change Focal Point, the NAP Focal Point, the Director of the Climate Change Directorate, the members of the Gender and Climate Working Group, and the NAP Global Network. As a second step, five workshops were held to gather input from other key stakeholders at the national and local levels with the previously identified gender and climate actors. The stakeholder consultation phase was conducted using the MoSCoW3 prioritization technique (Clegg & Barker, 1994), which enabled the stakeholders to evaluate the priority actions that had already been proposed. This phase took place from July 16 to August 2, 2024. Table 1. Details of the five stakeholder consultation workshops Number of Date Location July 16 Gonaïves: Artibonite and Nord-Ouest departments participants Women Men 20 9 11 Cap-Haïtien: Nord, Nord-Est, and Centre departments 21 9 Les Cayes: Sud and Grand-Anse departments 20 14 Miragoâne: Nippes, Ouest, and Sud Est departments 20 13 Port-au-Prince: Sectoral ministries, civil society organizations, and non governmental organizations 20 (in person) and 15 (online) 20 Total number of participants 116 65 July 17 12 July 23 6 July 24 7 August 2 15 51 Source: Author. The MoSCoWanalysis was supplemented by a contextual analysis and a series of interviews. The interviews provided an update on some of the information gathered during the literature review and helped to refine the priority areas, responsibilities, and budgetary information. The results of these consultations were incorporated into subsequent versions of the action plan. 2 The stakeholder consultation workshops, held over 5 days, were organized as follows: Gonaïves (bringing together participants from the Artibonite and Nord-Ouest departments); Cap-Haïtien (Nord, Nord-Est, and Centre departments); Les Cayes (Sud and Grand-Anse departments); Miragoâne (Nippes and Sud-Est departments along with the Les Palmes area of the Ouest department); and Port-au-Prince (bringing together key actors from various sectoral ministries, civil society organizations, and non-governmental organizations). 3 The MoSCoW prioritization technique classifies tasks into four categories: Mo: Imperative tasks to be executed first, as an utmost priority (Must-haves) S: Essential tasks to be executed after the imperative tasks (Should-haves) Co: Initiatives to be carried out after the imperative tasks and the essential tasks, if time allows (Could-haves) W: Tasks to set aside for the time being and perhaps execute in the future if conditions are favourable (Won’t-haves) Gender and Climate Change Action Plan of the Republic of Haiti 3 4. Validation of the Action Plan and Outreach The first version of the Gender and Climate Change Action Plan, which took into account the feedback received from the sponsors and the results of the consultation workshops, was presented to the parties concerned during a validation workshop. The purpose of this workshop was twofold: 1) to finalize and validate the revised action plan, and 2) to lay the groundwork for stakeholder ownership. Following this validation, an outreach plan will need to be drawn up and implemented by the Climate Change Directorate of the Ministry of the Environment in collaboration with key stakeholders, notably the Gender and Climate Working Group and the sectoral MGUs. Consultation workshop in Gonaïves. (Ministry of the Environment) Gender and Climate Change Action Plan of the Republic of Haiti 4 2 Gender in International Climate Negotiations Gender mainstreaming in international climate negotiations has evolved over more than two decades. This progress on the international scene can be traced back to enabling forces found in international law and international environmental law. 2.1 Gender Issues in International Law The issue of gender equality has been on the international agenda since 1945. The Preamble to the United Nations Charter enshrined the fundamental principles on which cooperation among states is built, notably the dignity and worth of the human person, fundamental human rights, and the equal rights of men and women. During the first world conference on the status of women, held in Mexico City in 1975, the United Nations General Assembly identified a number of key principles as the basis for the work of the United Nations on gender issues, proclaiming that “Equality between women and men means equality in their dignity and worth as human beings as well as equality in their rights, opportunities and responsibilities” (United Nations, 1976, p. 4). From 1979 onward, gender issues have undergone a significant evolution in international law thanks to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. Haiti ratified this Convention on July 20, 1981. One of the most important breakthroughs in the mainstreaming of gender into international law in the Americas came on June 9, 1994, with the adoption by the Organization of American States of the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women, which established a system of sanctions for violations of women’s rights. 2.2 Gender Issues in International Environmental Law The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992, led to the adoption of the following three international agreements: the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the UNFCCC. These three agreements take gender equality into account. In its preamble, the Convention on Biological Diversity reaffirms the role of women in the protection and sustainable use of biodiversity, and their participation in the development of biodiversity conservation policies. Also, the preamble to the UNCCD (1994) emphasizes the important role played by women in defining programs to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought, as well as their Gender and Climate Change Action Plan of the Republic of Haiti 5 contribution in drought-affected regions in rural areas of developing countries. Other UNCCD provisions that specifically deal with gender have called on states to set up mechanisms to encourage the participation of women in the fight against desertification, including: • promoting women’s awareness (Article 5(d)) • women’s participation in policy planning and decision-making (Article 10(f)) • capacity building for women (Article 19(a) and (e)) (United Nations, 1994) In 2023, the theme of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought was “Her Land. Her Rights.” Furthermore, the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995, adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which lays down guidelines for women’s empowerment. The Beijing Conference recognized the essential role of women in “the development of sustainable and ecologically sound consumption and production patterns and approaches to natural resource management” (UN Women, 1995, p. 155). With regard to the environment, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action sets three strategic objectives: • “Involve women actively in environmental decision-making. • Integrate gender concerns and perspectives in policies and programmes for sustainable development. • Strengthen or establish mechanisms at the national, regional and international levels to assess the impact of development and environmental policies on women” (UN Women, 1995, pp. 158–163). 2.3 Gender Issues in International Climate Negotiations Since the adoption of the UNFCCC, the issue of gender equality in international climate negotiations has undergone a number of developments. More than two decades ago, this issue emerged in the work of the UNFCCC and has now become a permanent fixture on the agenda of the Conferences of the Parties. Some of these key developments are therefore worth highlighting. In 2001, the theme of gender equality emerged during climate negotiations within the UNFCCC. The 7th Conference of the Parties, held in Marrakesh, Morocco, in 2001, recognized the importance of women’s participation in the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol. Specifically, Paragraph 1 of Decision 36/CP.7 invites parties to appoint women to elected positions within the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol (UNFCCC, 2002). Consultation workshop in Cape Haïtien. (Ministry of the Environment) Gender and Climate Change Action Plan of the Republic of Haiti 6 In 2010, the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, in Decision 1/CP.16 (para. 130), decided to include gender equality aspects in actions to support capacity building in developing countries at the sub-national, national, and regional levels (UNFCCC, 2011). In 2012, the 18th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, through Decision 23/CP.18 (UNFCCC, 2013) on “promoting gender balance and improving the participation of women in UNFCCC negotiations and in the representation of Parties in bodies established pursuant to the Convention or the Kyoto Protocol,” decided to reinforce Decision 36/CP.7 (UNFCCC, 2002) while adopting two major decisions: • adopting a goal of gender balance in bodies of the Convention or the Kyoto Protocol. Meeting this objective will strengthen women’s involvement in defining effective, gender sensitive climate change policy. • adding the issue of gender and climate change as a standing item on the agenda of sessions of the Conference of the Parties (UNFCCC, 2013). In 2014, the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC established the Lima Work Programme on Gender. Parties to the UNFCCC were asked to integrate gender equality issues into the definition and implementation of national climate policy, particularly within priority areas and themes such as awareness-raising and training activities, capacity development, and women’s representation in negotiations (UNFCCC, 2015). In 2016, following the adoption of the Paris Agreement, which refers to approaches that address issues of gender equality and women’s empowerment (UNFCCC, 2017), the Conference of the Parties asked its Subsidiary Body for Implementation to develop an action plan for gender equality while continuing to pursue the Lima Work Programme on Gender over a 3-year period. In 2017, the Parties to the Convention adopted the Gender Action Plan to promote the participation of women and the implementation of gender-sensitive climate policies. This action plan comprises the following five priority areas: 1. “Capacity building, knowledge-sharing, and communication 2. Gender balance, participation, and women’s leadership 3. Coherence of gender-related mandates and activities 4. Gender-responsive implementation and means of implementation 5. Monitoring and reporting” (UNFCCC, 2018) In 2022, the interim review of the implementation of the Gender Action Plan noted that significant efforts had been made, particularly in terms of the role and involvement of the national gender and climate change focal points and called on Parties to continue their efforts to increase the participation of women in the work of the UNFCCC. However, the decision of the 27th Conference of the Parties also highlights the increased inequalities between women and men brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has had a negative impact on the execution of the Gender Action Plan and the implementation of effective climate action. To address these concerns, the 27th Conference of the Parties (UNFCCC, 2023) introduced amendments to the Gender Action Plan. Gender and Climate Change Action Plan of the Republic of Haiti 7 3 Institutional Framework for Gender Mainstreaming in Haitian Public Policy 3.1 The Constitution The consideration of gender in the Haitian institutional framework has constitutional value. The 2011 constitutional amendment introduced the principle of a quota for women’s participation in positions of power. Article 17.1 of the Constitution stipulates that “The principle of a quota of at least thirty percent (30%) of women is recognized at all levels of national life, particularly in the public services”4 (Loi constitutionnelle, 2012, p. 7). Moreover, Article 31.1.1 states that “Any law relating to political parties must reserve in its structures and operating mechanisms treatment in accordance with the principle of the quota of at least thirty percent (30%) of women expressed in Article 17.1”5 (Loi constitutionnelle, 2012, p. 7). This major step forward has led to the emergence of policies, strategies, and projects that address gender issues. 3.2 Gender Equality Policy 2014–2034 The vision expressed in the Gender Equality Policy 2014–2034 refers to “the establishment of an inclusive Haitian society with strong social cohesion, where women and men enjoy equal conditions in terms of rights, access to wealth and participation in political life”6 (Ministry of the Status of Women and Women’s Rights of the Republic of Haiti, 2014, p. 35). The Gender Equality Policy 2014–2034 is based on the principles of equality, equity, non discrimination, social inclusion, consistency, and transparency. The main orientations of the policy are as follows: • “Equal rights and fair justice for women and men • Non-sexist education and egalitarian role models • Access to sexual and reproductive health care that respects the dignity of women • Elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls • Economic equality and equal access to employment for women and men 4 The original text in French reads: “Le principe du quota d’au moins trente pour cent (30 %) de femmes est reconnu à tous les niveaux de la vie nationale, notamment dans les services publics.” 5 The original text in French reads: “Toute loi relative aux Partis politiques doit réserver dans ses structures et dans ses mécanismes de fonctionnement un traitement en conformité avec le principe du quota d’au moins trente pour cent (30 %) de femmes exprimées à l’article 17.1.” 6 The original text in French reads, “l’établissement d’une société haïtienne inclusive et de forte cohésion sociale où les femmes et les hommes jouissent des conditions égales en termes de droits, d’accès à la richesse, de participation à la vie politique.” Gender and Climate Change Action Plan of the Republic of Haiti 8 • Equal participation of women and men in decision-making bodies”7 (Ministry of the Status of Women and Women’s Rights of the Republic of Haiti, 2014) The policy makes no explicit reference to climate change or environmental issues, but it does set out the general framework for gender mainstreaming in public policy. 3.3 National Climate Change Policy The National Climate Change Policy (PNCC), published in 2019, does not include any specific gender-related objectives. Nevertheless, stakeholder consultations held during the PNCC development process, the conclusions of which were published as an appendix to the PNCC document, showed that gender must be mainstreamed into the various priority areas, including agriculture, health, urban development and transport, tourism, and disaster risk management. Stakeholder recommendations included • emphasizing gender disaggregation in projects and policies • encouraging female entrepreneurship • focusing on single-parent families headed by women • encouraging the active participation of women. As a follow-up to these recommendations, two of the PNCC’s guiding principles (participation and equity) refer to equitable access to national resources and to the recognition of the concerns of vulnerable populations such as women and people with reduced mobility (Ministry of the Environment of the Republic of Haiti, 2019). 3.4 Nationally Determined Contribution The mainstreaming of gender in the NDC is based on the report entitled Intégration de l’aspect genre dans la contribution déterminée au niveau national (Milien, 2021). This study led to the inclusion of a specific section on gender and climate change in the revised 2022 version of the NDC, representing a major step forward compared to the previous version. This section stresses the importance for the NDC to • “Promote initiatives that address the specific needs of girls and women, especially those in a situation of heightened vulnerability. • Set up a specific working group on gender and climate change. • Have at least one gender focal point on the National Committee on Climate Change. 7 The original text in French reads: “- L’égalité de droit et une justice équitable entre les femmes et les hommes - L’éducation non sexiste et des modèles égalitaires - L’accès à la santé sexuelle et reproductive dans le respect de la dignité des femmes - L’élimination de toutes les formes de violence faites aux femmes et aux filles - L’égalité économique et un accès équitable à l’emploi entre les femmes et les hommes - La participation égalitaire des femmes et des hommes aux instances décisionnelles. “ Gender and Climate Change Action Plan of the Republic of Haiti 9 • Strengthen girls’ and women’s access to relevant information on climate change, including climate technologies. • Involve gender experts in the development and implementation of monitoring and evaluation frameworks for actions to combat climate change. • Produce and disseminate gender specific data. • Support gender mainstreaming in the national development planning process, especially with regard to the allocation of financial resources”8 (Ministry of the Environment of the Republic of Haiti, 2021, p. 56). Consultation workshop in Port-au-Prince. (Ministry of the Environment) It is, however, important to note that gender is not mentioned in the NDC summary table, in the list of sectoral adaptation measures, in the sections on the monitoring and evaluation framework, or in the institutional framework, despite the recommendations made on these points. 3.5 National Adaptation Plan The NAP, which was finalized in 2022, is based on seven guiding principles (Republic of Haiti, 2022), one of which is gender responsiveness and sensitivity to the most vulnerable. Two of the NAP’s four objectives explicitly reference gender and the integration of women into adaptation policy. The stated objective is to “implement large-scale gender-sensitive programs and projects aimed at increasing resilience to adverse climatic conditions in the priority sectors of the NAP, and to strengthen human capital, particularly that of women and girls, for adaptation planning at the level of the local and regional authorities that are most vulnerable to climate change”9 (Republic of Haiti, 2022, p. 61). The NAP identified 340 adaptation measures at the national level, 21 of which are considered high priority. While these measures do not explicitly incorporate gender, one of the criteria used 8 The original text in French reads: • “Promouvoir les initiatives qui répondent aux besoins spécifiques des filles et des femmes, notamment celles en situation de grande vulnérabilité • Mettre sur pied un groupe de travail spécifique sur le genre et les changements climatiques • Avoir au moins un point focal genre siégeant au sein du CNCC • Renforcer l’accès des filles et des femmes aux informations pertinentes sur les changements climatiques, notamment les technologies climatiques • Impliquer des expert(e)s en genre dans l’élaboration et la mise en œuvre des cadres de suivi et évaluation des actions de lutte contre les changements climatiques • Générer et divulguer des données sexospécifiques • Appuyer l’intégration du genre dans le processus de planification du développement national, notamment dans l’allocation des ressources financières.” 9 The original text in French reads, “mettre en œuvre des programmes et projets d’envergure sensibles au genre visant l’augmentation de la résilience aux conditions climatiques adverses dans les secteurs prioritaires du PNA et de renforcer le capital humain, notamment celui des femmes et des filles, pour la planification de l’adaptation à l’échelle des collectivités territoriales les plus vulnérables aux changements climatiques.” Gender and Climate Change Action Plan of the Republic of Haiti 10 to prioritize them was improved status for women (Republic of Haiti, 2022). Finally, gender is among the indicators to include in the monitoring and evaluation framework of the NAP. Two gender analyses related to the NAP process were undertaken in 2022 and 2023. They have contributed to a better understanding of gender and adaptation issues and of the opportunities for mainstreaming gender into the NAP process. The first gender analysis focused on gender mainstreaming in NAP implementation. It examined gender issues in the priority sectors of the NAP: agriculture, water resources, health, and infrastructure. This assessment showed that women are more vulnerable to climate change impacts, have less capacity to adapt, and have less access to resources (Hyppolite, 2022). The gender analysis report proposed a gender strategy for the NAP aimed at achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment in climate change adaptation actions. The recommended strategy was based on the five following areas of intervention: “awareness raising and communication on gender-responsive climate change adaptation; capacity development for the stakeholders responsible for NAP implementation; establishment of equitable and inclusive institutional arrangements; gender-sensitive budgeting, and monitoring of gender mainstreaming in NAP implementation”10 (Hyppolite, 2022). A rapid gender analysis of the NAP process (Ministry of the Environment of the Republic of Haiti, 2023) was carried out in 2023. It highlighted the obstacles affecting the mainstreaming of gender into public climate change adaptation policy, along with gender inequalities, and proposed that gender be a key focus for the priority activities of the NAP. This second analysis also emphasized the importance of adjusting the gender strategy included in the previous gender analysis by supplementing it with a precise, budgeted action plan to encourage the key players in the NAP process to act. Analyzing gender mainstreaming in national climate change adaptation policies and strategies has revealed some interesting developments in public policy narratives. To achieve concrete results regarding gender mainstreaming, these narratives must be translated into concrete actions. 10 The original text in French reads: “- Sensibilisation et communication sur la prise en compte du genre dans l’adaptation aux changements climatiques. - Renforcement de capacités des parties prenantes de la mise en œuvre du PNA. - Instauration des dispositifs institutionnels équitables et inclusifs. - Budgétisation sensible au genre. - Suivi de l’intégration du genre dans la mise en œuvre du PNA. “ Gender and Climate Change Action Plan of the Republic of Haiti 11 4 Gender Inequality and Climate Change Adaptation in Haiti The impacts of climate change affect men and women in different ways. Women suffer disproportionately from the consequences of water scarcity and lower agricultural yields (GenderCC—Women for Climate Justice, 2009). The Republic of Haiti identifies four priority sectors in its NAP: agriculture, water resources, health, and infrastructure. The development of the Gender and Climate Change Action Plan takes account of gender inequalities in these priority sectors. These inequalities are summarized below. 4.1 Agriculture and Gender Gender inequalities in Haiti’s agricultural sector are significant in terms of occupational roles and access to resources, notably land tenure. The latest agricultural census carried out in 2009 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development of the Republic of Haiti, 2012) provides the following data: • “Farms employ both family labour and salaried workers. Women represent 44.2% of this paid workforce and 15.2% of the casual workforce. Women are one of five groups of actors involved in the agricultural sector, particularly as marketing and/or processing agents”11 (Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development of the Republic of Haiti, 2011, p. 5). • Out of all the farms identified in the country, 25.3% are run by women. In the livestock breeding sub-sector, women control 22.4% of the total livestock population. • Women have limited access to land tenure. Twenty percent of them have joint ownership of property (land or a house), and only 9% have full ownership (Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development of the Republic of Haiti, 2012). Women’s limited access to land tenure and credit, which are fundamental to the production of wealth in the agricultural sector, results from the complexity of the system for registering and securing property (Ministry of the Environment of the Republic of Haiti, 2023). To address these inequalities, the 2010–2016 agricultural investment plan drawn up by the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development introduced a gender analysis in view of strengthening the capacity of women to participate in decision-making processes, reduce their workload in the agricultural sector, and gain easier access to irrigated plots (Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development of the Republic of Haiti, 2010). 11 The original text in French reads: “Les exploitations agricoles mobilisent une main-d’œuvre familiale et salariale. Les femmes représentent 44,2 % de cette main-d’œuvre salariale et 15,2 % de la main-d’œuvre occasionnelle. Les femmes constituent l’un des cinq groupes d’acteurs qui interviennent dans le secteur agricole particulièrement comme agents de commercialisation et/ou de transformation.” Gender and Climate Change Action Plan of the Republic of Haiti 12 4.2 Water Resources and Gender In the water resources sector, the burden of supplying water for domestic needs, especially in rural areas and precarious urban districts, falls on women and children (Milien, 2021). Women are more affected by water shortages than men, due to their prominent role in water supply and management for domestic use (Hyppolite, 2022; Ministry of the Environment of the Republic of Haiti, 2023). 4.3 Health and Gender No studies have been carried out in Haiti to examine the direct effects of climate change on health. Nevertheless, a study assessing the vulnerability of the health sector to climate change impacts, undertaken by Urruela (2021), examined indirect linkages, showing that the country’s high malnutrition rate could be a byproduct of drought and seasonal disruption. Health problems indirectly caused by climate change are an additional burden for women (Urruela, 2021), who, especially in times of natural disasters, are responsible for caring for vulnerable members of their household (Ministry of the Environment of the Republic of Haiti, 2023). Limited access to health services has negative impacts on the lives of women. According to the Ministry of Public Health and Population, “the pregnancy-related mortality ratio (PRMR) reached 646 per 100,000 during the 2009–2017 period, compared with 630 per 100,000 in 1998–2006 and 523 per 100,000 in 1993–2000”12 (Ministry of Public Health and Population of the Republic of Haiti, 2021, p. 6). This is the highest mortality rate for pregnant women in the Western hemisphere. It should be emphasized that Article 12 of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women requires state parties to “take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the field of health care in order to ensure, on a basis of equality of men and women, access to health care services, including those related to family planning” (United Nations, 1979). 4.4 Infrastructure and Gender Health infrastructure, drinking water supply systems, sanitation facilities, roads, and human settlements are exposed to climate change impacts and extreme weather events (Ministry of the Environment of the Republic of Haiti, 2023). The poor condition of this infrastructure has a detrimental effect on women, who make up the majority of the informal sector of the Haitian economy (Gandini et al., 2021) and are usually the heads of their households. 12 The original text in French reads: “Le rapport de mortalité liée à la grossesse (RMG) atteint un niveau de 646 pour 100,000 durant la période 2009-2017 alors qu’il était de 630 pour 100,000 au cours de la période 1998-2006 et de 523 pour 100,000 durant la période 1993-2000.” Gender and Climate Change Action Plan of the Republic of Haiti 13 5 Actors Involved in Gender Issues and Climate Change Adaptation Stakeholder participation is a prerequisite for the implementa