It has been observed that the physical impacts of climate change and natural hazards are compounding pervasive structural inequalities and socioeconomic vulnerabilities. Gender equality and human rights are not given sufficient consideration in climate change mitigation and adaptation, or in disaster risk, recovery and response. This oversight is critical because significant social and economic impacts also result from and fuel the impact of natural hazards. Climate Change and disasters affect women, girls, boys and men differently. Research shows that women and girls are: 1) disproportionally affected by climate change and disasters; 2) more likely to die in disasters; and 3) have different and uneven levels of resilience and capacity to recover. Furthermore, other vulnerable groups face difficulty recovering from the effects of climate induced hazards. This is particularly evident among young unattached (uncommitted/unmarried) and unemployed men. As such non-gender responsive strategies for climate change and disasters can contribute to increased citizen insecurity due to high crime rates amongst this particular population group[1].

Through the funding support provided by the Global Affairs Canada and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Enabling Gender-Responsive Disaster Recovery, Climate and Environmental Resilience in the Caribbean (EnGenDER), seeks to further integrate gender equality and human-rights based approaches into disaster risk reduction (DRR), climate change (CC) adaptation and mitigation; environmental management frameworks and interventions. EnGenDER will also identify and address some of the gaps to ensure equal access to DRR and climate change and environmental solutions for both men, women, boys and girls in nine Caribbean countries (Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Suriname).