Kanchan Lama was one of the panelists during the ” Driving Gender Equality through Climate Action, session organized by the International Development Research Centre of Canada (IDRC) at the Canada Pavilion on 14 November 2022. The objective of the session was to discuss the intersection of women’s empowerment, climate adaptation, and climate mitigation efforts across the Global South. Panelists touched on topics ranging from gender-inclusive research, grassroots climate action, and climate policy informed by Southern knowledge. Before the panelists presented, Erin Tansey announced the Climate and Development Knowledge Network’s (CDKN) five-year plan to further gender equity and climate resiliency through knowledge-based action, capacity building, and increased Southern leadership at global levels. Following the CDKN announcement, each panelist received five minutes to describe climate change interventions that positively impacted their community.
Kanchan highlighted the challenges to access clean cooking energy continues to pervade vulnerable communities worldwide. According to the 2022 Tracking SDG 7 Report, approximately 2.4 billion people still lacked access to affordable, safe, and energy-efficient cooking resources in 2020. The lack of clean energy disproportionately impacts women in low-income countries. Increasing the availability of sustainable energy can address this inequity by reducing cooking-related expenses and meal preparation time. Kanchan emphasized the importance of gender-friendly interventions such as biodigesters and hydroelectric energy. She also gave a brief overview of the W+ Standard and emphasized, “Women are the primary stakeholders; women must be the primary decision-makers.” This sentiment reigned true throughout many of the discussions taking place on Gender and Water Day at COP27.