Climate Change Commission Highlights Women's Contribution to Climate Action

The Climate Change Commission PH (CCC) emphasized the importance of women in tackling climate change, especially in mainstreaming gender-responsive adaptation and mitigation strategies such as raising women's involvement in decision-making processes.

This was emphasized on April 27 at the Director's Club, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City, at the formal launch of the Women's International Network on Disaster Risk Reduction-Philippines (WIN DRR PH). Commissioner Rachel Anne Herrera is also the chairman of the CCC Gender Focal Point System.

"The CCC heartily welcomes the WIN DRR as an inspirational collective of female visionaries and leaders in the ongoing struggle to include gender in our national roadmaps towards climate and disaster-resistant development. Because women are paving the way, we can be trusting that community-based efforts to adapt to the effects of disaster and climate change are fair and effective”, Rachel continued.

"We must include gender concerns throughout every stage of developing, financing, and putting into practise climate change policies and programmes”. According to CCC Vice Chair and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje, "the CCC will continue to ensure that women's demands and views are recognised in the fight against the climate disaster."

In her keynote address, Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda reaffirmed that men and women are affected by climate change in different ways, with women being more susceptible because of societal and cultural expectations, as well as ongoing gender disparities.

Loren Legarda, one of the founding members of WIN DRR, emphasized the essential role that women play in disaster risk reduction and climate action, both as change agents and as leaders in local communities and international organizations.

In addition to holding positions of leadership and decision-making, women are uniquely qualified to implement sustainable practices in the food production, water collecting, and energy management sectors.

Loren Legarda said, “Women should be given the necessary support to have the confidence and wherewithal to lead and be at the forefront of efforts to improve Filipino communities and pursue initiatives that will contribute decisive actions towards the country's sustainable and equitable progress."

Republic Act 9729, also known as the Climate Change Act, was written by Loren Legarda and requires that all initiatives, plans, and initiatives relating to climate change and renewable energy be developed and carried out in a gender-responsive manner.

In all of their variety, women working in disaster risk reduction are supported by the expanding professional network known as WIN DRR PH. By encouraging and supporting women's leadership, this movement seeks to improve the role of women in decision-making for disaster risk reduction in the Asia-Pacific region.

WIN DRR's Philippine Chapter is being built on four pillars at this early stage: governance, policymaking, schooling, and social capacity development. Under these guiding principles, WIN DRR PH aims to unite female leaders from various industries in order to advance the goal of disaster risk reduction.

Liza Silerio, vice president of SM Supermalls' Corporate Compliance Group, Sandra Montano, a former PCW chairperson, Dr. Emma Porio, a member of the CCC's National Panel of Technical Experts, and Belinda Ochave, the BFP's chief superintendent, also attended the event with Loren Legarda and Rachel. Assistance is given by the Australian Embassy in the Philippines, SM Prime Holdings Inc., Asia Pacific College (PNA), the UN Office of Disaster Risk Reduction, and WIN DRR.