The Government of The Bahamas is committed to gender-responsive climate action, Minister of Social Services, Information and Broadcasting, the Hon. Myles LaRoda said Friday.
 
This comes as climate change “continues to be the single biggest challenge of our generation.”
 
Mr. LaRoda was addressing a UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) Side Event under the theme: “Gender Equality and Climate Change – Commonwealth perspectives.” Jointly organized by the Government of The Bahamas and the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Side Event was held as a means of elevating public policy discourse/discussion on climate change and its impacts on the most vulnerable among populations -- women and girls as well as persons with disabilities.
 
Research indicates that the consequences of climate change can increase the burden for women and girls, particularly in Small-Island Developing States (SIDS). Additionally, they face social, economic and political barriers that limit their coping capacity.
 
“Women comprise over 50% of our population, and dare I say, one of our greatest resources,” Mr. LaRoda told his audience. “In The Bahamas, we are committed to gender-responsive climate action and we are pleased to boast that women outnumber men in leadership positions in conservation and environmental planning.
 
“Our very own, Dr. Rhianna Neely-Murphy, one the panelists for today’s forum, is an outstanding champion of climate change and currently serves as the Director of the Environmental Planning and Protection Unit, which falls under the portfolio of the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources in The Bahamas.  

Another of our very own outstanding champions of climate change, Dr. Adelle Thomas, Scientist and Adaption & Loss and Damage Researcher, was elected in July last year to the Bureau of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as Vice-Chair of IPCC’s Working Group II.  These women are leading women in their fields and we are proud of them.
 
“It is our goal, through focused governance and discipline, to spread this trend to other sectors. Through increased investments in education to build capacity, grants and loans to MSMEs to increase output and productivity, and monitoring and evaluation, we will achieve our desired goal. It goes without saying that these investments are crucial to The Bahamas’ overall national development.”
 
There are three generally recognized key elements of gender-responsive climate action. The first is about recognizing gender differences in needs, opportunities and capacities related to climate action. 

The second element, refers to equitable participation and influence by women and men in climate-related decision-making processes.
 
The third element focuses on gender-equitable access to financial resources and other benefits such as climate information, technologies and services that are resulting from investment in climate action.
 
“The Bahamas has an economy based largely on the Tourism industry,” Minister LaRoda told his audience. “Women comprise the majority share of the tourism labour force. Climate Change has a direct impact on the artisans in our straw market, the bartenders and waiters/waitresses in our hotels, the hotel manager, the taxi driver and the restaurant owner. 

Across agencies addressing climate change in The Bahamas, all must take into consideration the impacts of the planning and programming on gender.  In other words, we must take into account gender mainstreaming and implement it throughout our industries.  In The Bahamas, we are bolstering our statistical resources to track changes in the system. In that way, we are able to determine, by numbers, which programmes are working and which ones need to be restructured or cancelled.
 
“I am extremely encouraged to stand among this group of highly motivated professionals, pursuing to elevate the public policy discourse on climate change and its impact on the most vulnerable among our populations – women and girls, as well as persons with disabilities. 

This gathering of like minds is most timely.  I extend my thanks to Ms. Namgyal (Jennifer Namgyal, Advisor, Gender Unit, Commonwealth Secretariat), and her team for their collaboration in organizing this very important panel discussion.”
 
Minister LaRoda said Small Island Developing States (SIDS) such as The Bahamas, have long been recognized for their high exposure and risk to the impacts of climate change.
 
He said the past 8 years have been the hottest on record with each of the past four decades being warmer than the preceding one. Last summer, for example, The Bahamas recorded ocean temperatures in excess of 93 degrees Fahrenheit that resulted in massive coral reef die offs across the archipelago. This is in addition to the continued spread of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease “that our reef builders have been exposed to,” since 2019.
 
“Needless to say, climate change continues to be the single biggest challenge of our generation. We have been on the frontlines of climate change from the beginning and our contributions have enriched the decision-making process to date. However, our vulnerabilities to the impact of climate change are complex. So are we diverse in economies and culture, so is the diversity of vulnerability associated with climate change.
 
“As I close, I urge each of us to commit to raising awareness of climate change and its impacts, particularly on vulnerable groups.  Education is key,” Mr. LaRoda concluded.