Binghamton University's Kaschak Institute for Social Justice for Women and Girls is making strides in its effort to combat climate change and gender inequality through innovations that help shape international climate policy. In partnership with United Nations (UN) Women, the institute has spearheaded the launch of the Gender Equality and Climate Policy Scorecard.
The Scorecard looks to reshape the landscape of climate policy through the lens of gender equality and social justice. It serves as a tool for measuring how governments address gender inequalities in their national climate policies and is a critical mechanism for assessing how nations recognize and address these disparities in their policies.
Gustavo Sanchez-Bachman, a PhD candidate in anthropology at Harpur College of Arts and Sciences and a graduate researcher at Kaschak, had the opportunity to get involved in this project.
The Scorecard's six dimensions of gender-responsive climate action:
- Economic Security: By 2050, 158 million more women could be pushed into extreme poverty.
- Unpaid Care Work: 2.3 billion people live in water-stressed countries. Women are responsible for water collection in 80% of households.
- Gender-based Violence: Living in arid areas is associated with rates of child marriage up to 32 percentage points higher than in humid areas.
- Health: During heatwaves, the likelihood of preterm birth rises by about 26%.
- Participation and Leadership: In 2024, women comprised just 24% of heads of delegation at COP29.
- Gender Mainstreaming: 118 countries have designated national gender and climate change focal points.
"Assisting in the development of the Gender Equality and Climate Policy Scorecard was an incredibly valuable experience. Working with the team at UN Women allowed me to see how one can follow high-level climate policy to the contexts where it is actually applied, and to provide tools to track progress in gender and climate policy," they said. "I also feel passionately about this project as a tool to hold policymakers accountable for the commitments they make to climate justice and gender equity. This project, and my involvement in it, would not have been possible in the other areas I have worked in at Binghamton, and so I am very appreciative of the opportunity."
By evaluating the integration of gender considerations into national climate policy implementation, the Scorecard seeks to ensure that women and girls not only have their rights protected but also have opportunities to thrive in an ever-changing world. Through its comprehensive analysis, the Scorecard aims to drive policy innovation, promote accountability and ultimately foster a more inclusive and equitable approach to climate action.
"At [Kaschak Institute], we have supported Parties in international forums to strengthen their commitments and ambitions for creating a more just, fair and equitable world. Likewise, we have also assisted countries in turning international commitments into national policies and plans," said Lorena Augilar, Executive Director of Kaschak. "The development of the Scorecard enhances our efforts, as it provides a scientific data system to measure progress, as well as offering concrete examples and strategies for advancing gender equality at the national level."
The Scorecard is an effective tool in measuring how governments are addressing climate change and gender inequality, but it also serves as a way for Kaschak to give opportunities to students where they are able to amplify their voices and create positive change on a global scale. By involving students in this collaborative effort, Kaschak continues to aid the next generation of leaders to fight for gender equality and environmental justice, both locally and globally.
