E/2011/27 E/CN.6/2011/12 Deeply concerned that the adverse impacts of climate change on women and girls, especially those living in poverty, can be exacerbated by gender inequality and discrimination, Mindful that women who live in conditions of poverty and social exclusion have limited opportunities to participate in training and capacitybuilding and have less access to information related to all aspects of climate change, including on climate forecasts and related warnings, Recognizing that women are powerful agents of change and key actors in contributing effective responses to the challenges posed by climate change, including by disasters, Underscoring that gender equality and the effective participation of women and indigenous peoples are important for effective action on all aspects of climate change, and welcoming in this regard the attention given to such mainstreaming and participation in the outcome of the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in Cancun, Mexico, 16 1. Recognizes that gender equality, the integration of gender perspectives and the effective participation of women at the global, regional, national and local levels are important for effective action on all aspects of climate change, as contained, inter alia, in the Bali Action Plan; 17 2. Calls upon Governments to integrate a gender perspective in environmental and climate change policies and to strengthen mechanisms and provide adequate resources to ensure women’s full and equal participation in decision-making at all levels on environmental issues, in particular on strategies related to the impact of climate change on the lives of women and girls; Also call upon Governments to ensure that sustainable resource 3. management mechanisms, production techniques and infrastructure development in rural and urban areas are, in the context of climate change policies and strategies, gender sensitive; Encourages Governments and, as appropriate, international 4. organizations, civil society, the private sector and all relevant actors to facilitate and increase the participation of women, including indigenous women, particularly at the grass-roots level, as decision makers, entrepreneurs, planners, evaluators, managers, scientists, technical advisers at all levels and as beneficiaries in the design, development, implementation and monitoring of all aspects of climate change policies; Urges Governments and all other relevant actors, in their efforts in 5. dealing with climate change, to promote women’s equal access to education, media and information, communications and technology and to encourage women’s equal participation in training and capacity-building; Calls upon Governments, in their efforts in dealing with climate 6. change, to support and empower rural women, who are engaged in agricultural __________________ 16 17 11-28654 See FCCC/CP/2010/7/Add.1, decision 1/CP.16. See FCCC/CP/2007/6/Add.1, decision 1/CP.13. 17