Publication

Abstract : Central and South Asia together form 26 per cent of the global population and are rich in biodiversity. Many of the ecosystems, however, are vulnerable to climate change which has the potential to disrupt the availability of and access to water, energy, and food. In these regions, women constitute about half of the population and are stakeholders both as consumers and producers, besides being active agents of change. Needless to say the issues of gender and the associated nexus are critical for addressing challenges emanating from climate change and biodiversity losses. Hence, it is essential to examine and ensure participation of more women in policy planning and implementation around the nexus of water, energy, and food security, including in agriculture. This chapter provides an overview of the challenges and issues existing in the food, water, and energy nexus, through a gender lens. Taking note of the existing status of women in Central and South Asia across the three sectors, the chapter highlights various promising practices of different stakeholders to enhance capacities and financial resources, provide adequate infrastructure, and a work environment conducive to encourage gender-balanced processes and strategies. Highlighting the issues and challenges, the chapter concludes that gender mainstreaming needs to be an intrinsic aspect of policies and processes, across the three sectors. Challenges related to assessing and institutionalizing gender inclusion need utmost attention and require transformative and unique solutions. With the right balance of training, education, enabling environment and policy planning, as well as implementation, the nexus will become more gender inclusive and sustainable.