First Section

1. Gender Discrimination, Structural Violence and Climate Change: Rethinking the Domains of Private and Public Spaces Introduction - Gender Discrimination have extensively been investigated However, not much has been done to explore the gender dimension of the impact of climate change on gender ... disaggregated impacts of climate change on men and women Emerging reality indicates that women are highly vulnerable Specific Objective: to examine the major causes of the disproportionate impact of climate change on gender. to identify the peculiar experiences of both gender in relation to climate change. to explore ways through which increased inclusion of women in the public space will help reduce the high level exposure of women to climate change

2. First Section • Explores linkages between structural violence and gender discrimination … Conceptual Overview and the Nexus • Popular narratives on the violence theme –Structural violence, as captured by McCandless, involves ‘no actor or warrior that commits the violence, which instead comes from the girders of the social structure itself – forces at work between humans and societies or sets of societies’ (2007). embedded in culture and tradition, religious beliefs and interpretations, organizational codes and ethics, official and unofficial policies, state bureaucracies, and tacitly reproduced in the form of institutional violence. Devon G Pena notes that there are critical linkages between structural violence and poverty structural violence institutionalizes limitations on social relations and entrenches normative constraints; resulting to economic inequality . • Patriarchy underpins perceptions and dichotomy in which the private and public spheres are separated and also advances notions of division of roles, challenges and opportunities that places men as the rightful occupants and operators in the public domain.

3. Second Section: • Specifically examines issues bordering on questions of women exclusion, environmental injustice and climate change: • Previous studies indicate that less attention is given to women in decision making processes – in economic, political, religious, cultural, social matters • Example making reflections on the nature and character of gender discrimination in Nigeria, particularly on the issue of land ownership, usage and management. … Land-related climate change impacts • Occupation or the main activity of most women – agricultural sector • Lack of sufficient and appropriate information on climate change impacts … mitigation and adaptation strategies • Impacts of the exclusion of women in decision making arenas

4. Third Section • Examine some of the peculiar experiences of men and women in relation to climate change … relying largely on the 2011 Report of the Nigerian Environmental Study/Action Team which partly evaluated variations in observation, perception and anticipation between men and women across selected Nigerian communities • - Question on Patterns of rainfall greater percentage of female farmers observed and reported increased volume of rainfall, more of the male farmers observed and reported decreased volume of rainfall • - Question on the major factors that make households vulnerable to theimpacts of climate change … in order of importance . female farmers: rated low agricultural output, insufficient farm labour, conflict and non-availability of water for irrigation facilities - male farmers: inadequate storage facilities, non-availability of irrigation facilities and insufficient farm labour • Consequently - indigenous adaptation measures employed by both gender were equally dissimilar. • How are female voices and peculiarities in relation to climate change variability incorporated into public agenda? … Knowledge gap exists

5. Patriarchy places on women the task of satisfying the water needs of the household and also the duty of collection of firewood for fuel • Availability and distribution of information on climate change remains another huge challenge for women … weather stations provide information for airliners, big companies, and researchers on demand; leaving farmers out. • Fourth Section • Examines options that can help increase the capacity of women to cope with climate change hazards and also support the achievement of sustainable development - pursuit of environmental justice and ecological democracy - gender considerations in assessing vulnerability and impacts of climate change - Government ineptitude … due to underrepresentation of women - non-confinement of women to the private space - harnessing women’s traditional environmental knowledge and ethno- ecological experiences - challenging and reordering patriarchal traditions … reinterpretation of religious texts … holistic gender analysis

6. Conclusion • Although all humanity, including men and women are adversely affected by the impact of climate change, women bear greater brunt mainly on account of the long-standing patriarchal traditions meted out through structural violence against women; resulting mainly to structural poverty which largely diminishes their ability cope with climate capacity. • Study confirms that agricultural sector is worse hit by climate change disaster. Unfortunately, more women are found within this sector. • In spite of their role in and dependence on natural-resource exploitation and farming, this study noted that the observations, perceptions, peculiar experiences and anticipations of the women are not properly incorporated when measures aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate change are considered. … due mainly to the ineffective participation of women in the public space … Proposals for redress.