Gender approaches in climate compatible development: Lessons from Kenya

This report examines gender and climate change in relation to efforts to support climate compatible development, a policy goal that aims to integrate and draw synergies between adaptation, mitigation and development. The report’s focus is a case study of Kisumu, Kenya, drawing lessons from the five-year project People’s Plans into Practice (PPP): Building Productive and Liveable Settlements with Slum Dwellers in Kisumu and Kitale.

The recommendations provided in this report include (p. 35):

• For national- and county-level policy-makers:
  • It is important to address entrenched biases against women in policy processes;
  • It is advisable to introduce a designated gender focal person in every county department.
• For city- and ward-level policy-makers and planners, it is advisable to:
  • carry out a gender and climate change audit for Kisumu city in order to document the differentiated impacts of climate change and people’s vulnerability;
  • encourage participation of both men and women in meetings and community projects, addressing specific strategic needs for women.
• For development agencies and donors, it is important to:
  • document best practices and examples of successful gender integration into climate change programmes and projects in urban areas;
  • focus on deeper, structural barriers to gender equality, such as women’s individual and household-level capacity to participate.