This activity in China’s Gansu Province promoted women-friendly legislation around climate
change by organizing farmers into a grassroots congress. “Legal Advocacy for the
Implementation of Gender-Sensitive Regulations Addressing Climate Change” saw legislative
representatives in two counties simulate law-making processes, after which they provided their
results to policy-makers. The effort sensitized both the public and decision-makers to the risks
that climate change poses for women.

Climate change leads to more frequent – and more destructive – natural disasters. Women die at
a far higher rate than men in such disasters – perhaps 14 times higher, as research has shown.
Climate change will undoubtedly threaten the lives and livelihoods of increasing numbers of women, due
mainly to their lower economic and social standing. Male policy-makers have failed to consider this
disproportionate affect of climate change on women, as for example reflected in China’s current
policy around climate change, which lacks a gender perspective.

The solution

This initiative, organized by the Lanzhou University Center for Western Environmental and Social
Development and an existing people’s congress, assisted nearly 800,000 farmers in two Gansu Province
counties to each elect 50 legislative representatives. Of the total 100 representatives, 60 were women.
This congress went through a mock law-making process, then provided information to and shared knowledge
with legislative bodies at county and province levels.

Helping the planet

Such grassroots lobbying efforts sensitize decision-makers on the issue of climate change, while also
enhancing community awareness of it. The process of making laws that better respond to climate change helps
identify and prevent its root causes, and is thus likely to contribute to conservation natural resources,
and help reduce pollution.

Helping people

The process increased opportunities for women to communicate with legislative units and relevant
governmental organizations. This has improved women’s participation in the public sphere, while
enhancing legislative officials’ understanding of what roles women can play in addressing climate
change. It lays a solid foundation for mainstreaming gender issues in the long term.

Spillover effect

This first-time project for China resulted in successful advocacy. The legislative networks will be
extended to 40 of Gansu Province’s 87 counties over the next five years, and is hoped to cover all 87
counties within 10 years. Since the gender-sensitive mechanism addressing climate change and disaster risk
reduction is easy to demonstrate and understand, the activity is replicable and scalable.