Women in a green economy

1. Rationale for this Survey

UN Women is conducting this survey on ‘Promoting Women’s Economic Empowerment in a Green Economy’ in preparation for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, to be held in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012.*

Through this survey, UN Women aims to: (i) compile experiences, lessons learned, pilots, promising and innovative initiatives on women’s economic empowerment and participation in a green economy; and (ii) collect established and proven methodologies and approaches with substantial and documented impact on women’s economic empowerment in a green economy. The most unique experiences and initiatives will be published in a report that will be launched in Rio in June 2012. It is expected that this report will generate ideas for development planners and practitioners in governments, United Nations system, civil society and the private sector on concrete initiatives that can be brought to scale and replicated to accelerate women’s economic empowerment in the green economy.

Please complete the survey no later than 30 September 2011 and send any supporting material (including photos, videos, training material, detailed budgets, reports and evaluations, etc.) you may to have to: econ-emp.team@unwomen.org.

(*) The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, will focus on two key themes: (a) a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication; and (b) the institutional framework for sustainable development. While the concept ‘green economy’ is yet to be defined, its usage has increased over the last few years. It can be considered one of several complementary constructs that have emerged in recent years to enhance convergence between the different dimensions of sustainable development. Other such constructs include national sustainable development strategies, and the Millennium Development Goals. UNEP defines a green economy as one that results in ‘improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities’. In its simplest expression, a green economy is low carbon, resource efficient, and socially inclusive. In a green economy, growth in income and employment should be driven by public and private investments that reduce carbon emissions and pollution, enhance energy and resource efficiency, and prevent the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. See UNEP (2010), Towards a Green Economy: Pathways to Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication.