Capacity Building, Gender, and Non-Formal Education

You might be asking yourself, "what is capacity building and how does it relate to gender, and non-formal education?"

Capacity building is enhancing existing knowledge on climate change in various institutions, especially in developing countries. This includes improving the skills, training, and education of people at all levels. Developed nations attempt to enhance the knowledge or infrastructure in developing countries by implementing projects that build the capacity of the nation.

The inclusion of girls and young women within capacity building is particularly important. This is because in developing nations, women are disproportionately affected by climate change. As the impacts of a changing climate are felt in communities, the subsequent economic hardships often hit women and girls the hardest. The education of girls is no longer a priority as financial strains mean that women are driven to work to uphold their responsibilities to their families. With climate change, women spend more time working the land, collecting water and managing their family resources.

Due to the proven lower levels of formal education that girls receive, the implementation of programmes, such as those run by Girl Guides, is essential. Non-formal education provides women in developing countries with the capacity they need to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change.

Megan Van Buskirk and Ashley Geddes, Canadian delegates at COP 17