By Felly Tusiime, Sylvia Ayebare, Elizabeth Ahumuza, and Arthur Kimeeze
Participants at the CBIT write shop at the Ministry of Water and Environment-Climate Change Department.
May 2019– On 16th and 17th, the CBIT Uganda project hosted a two-day training write shop on analysis, reporting and publication of gender dis-aggregated data on climate change and GHG inventory at the Ministry of Water and Environment-Climate Change Department. 27 participants including 15 females and 12 males from the Climate Change Department, Ministry of Water and Environment; Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development; National Environment Management Authority and the Africa Innovations Institute attended the write-shop.
The training was conducted by gender consultants from Makerere University including Prof. Gorettie Nabanoga, Dr. Justine Namalwa, and Mr Anthony Tugaineyo, in three sessions:
- Gender related concepts;
- Gender Mainstreaming in GHG Inventory and
- Data collection, analysis and use of gender disaggregated data. The general approach to the training was participatory.
Gender related concepts.
The consultants led the participants through an open discussion on the differences between sex and gender concepts. It was clarified that ‘sex’ entails biological characteristics of male and female as identified at birth while ‘gender’ on the other hand was considered to entail the roles and responsibilities, rights and limitations ascribed by society and culture to males or females. The discussion clarified that gender roles are learnt and listed examples; reproductive roles, the productive roles, community roles and political roles.
L-R: Mr. Anthony Tugaineyo, Prof. Gorettie Nabanoga and Dr. Justine Namalwa, the gender consultants from Makerere University.
The discussion also addressed gender needs and these were clustered as either basic/ practical gender needs or as strategic gender needs. ‘Basic gender needs’ relate to working and living conditions such as health care, income, dwellings, food and water among others whereas ‘strategic needs’ relate to power and relations and change according to the specific social, economic and political situation an individual finds oneself in.
The discussion then took a turn to consider the question of gender equity versus equality. ‘Equity’ refers to both men and women having a fair chance of their needs being met while ‘Equality’ on the other hand refers to equal opportunity to access and enjoy socially valued goods, opportunities, resources and rewards by men and women. The session concluded with a discussion on the distinction between sex disaggregated data and gender disaggregated data. The major distinction was found to be in the ‘who’ and ‘what’ questions. While the sex disaggregated data seeks to know ‘who does what’; gender disaggregated data further seeks to answer the ‘why’ question. It explores reasons why the category of female and male relate to the socio-economic attributes e.g. religion, wealth, education etc.
After this session, the participants were invited to take part in an exercise with 2 sketch questions to lead the plenary and discussions thereafter:
- “Are the gender roles a connotation of the sex of the individual?”
- “Is gender equality attained after ensuring gender equity?”
These questions served as a thought bridge to the second session of the write shop: gender mainstreaming in the GHG inventory.
Gender mainstreaming in the GHG inventory.
This more practical session centered on the gender concerns in the GHG inventory and the steps in mainstreaming gender in GHG inventory. The steps in chronological order are:
- Prepare
- Process Planning
- Design and Data Collection
- Data Entry and Analysis; and
- Reporting
This session was guided by separate questions for the 5 target sector hubs and the Climate Change Department (CCD). The question directed specifically to CCD was, “What is expected in the national GHG inventory” while two questions were directed to the sector hubs
1) “What is expected in your sectoral GHG inventory” and
2) “Identify the sources and sinks of emissions in your sector.”
The practical exercise was extended to cover the questions:
- What activity data has been collected in your sector?
- What are the implications of unavailable activity data to the reporting requirements?
- What must be done to improve the accuracy of GHG emission computations?
To trigger a gender lens, the participants were further prompted to discuss and record/respond to the following:
- Identify the pertinent gender issues that relate to the sectoral GHG emissions.
- What gender dimensions (intersecting factors) have been addressed in the GHG inventory system?
- Which potential gender dimensions need to be addressed in the GHG Inventory process?
These discussions closed day 1 and were an entry point for session 3 of the write-shop.
Session 3 (day 2) covered the main steps in mainstreaming gender in the GHGI reporting process and the utilization of gender disaggregated information in reporting on transparency requirements. Representatives from the 5 target sectors; Agriculture, Water, Forestry, Waste, and Transport made presentations on the status of the GHG inventory process and proposed changes to engender the data collection process.
It was noted that all sectors needed to engender the GHG data inventory in order to make GHG and climate change reporting more informative.
Mr. Choice Agaba of NARO presenting results from the Agriculture sector during the needs assessment meeting at CCD
Mr. Keith Ahumuza of UBOS presenting results from the waste sector
Key takeaways from the training write-shop for the participants included the need by all partners to understand gender and the related concepts in order to appreciate its relevance in the sectoral GHG inventory.
They were also made to understand that Gender is beyond the meaning of the word ‘sex’.
Also important was for them to note that every sector should have Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the design and implementation of the inventory. These should include descriptions of the methodologies used in the estimations, data sources and the institutional arrangements for the preparation of the inventory.
All sectors were prompted to design new tools tailored to have gender disaggregated data for effective reporting on climate action.
The participants were made to appreciate the fact that gender analysis enables them to identify the change agents for addressing climate change and thus successful implementation of climate actions; GHG Inventory, progress made on delivering NDCs, Climate Change impacts and adaptation and capacity building, funds and technology transfer.
The reflections / practical questions delivered to the participants was intended to trigger actions to enable the sectors embrace the gender lens and in the planning and implementation of climate change actions. During the planning, ensure there is gender responsive budgeting to efficiently utilize gender disaggregated information.
The overall outcome of this very participatory training write-shop was positive, with interest and commitments from the sectors to apply lessons learnt, and committed themselves to put into practice, the knowledge and skills provided during the training to engender the national reporting systems on climate change action.
Special appreciation /acknowledgement for the successful play out of the training write-shop goes to the CBIT Project implementing partners; The Ministry of Water and Environment-Climate Change Department (CCD) and the Africa Innovations Institute. We also appreciate all participants / representatives that turned up for the training.
The CBIT Uganda project is equally grateful to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Conservation International (CI) for the funding support towards the success of the project activities in Uganda.
