Hanoi (VNA) - Elisa Fernandez Saenz, CountryRepresentative of UN Women in Vietnam, has recommended that to achieve the besteffect from the policies and programmes on climate, the environment, anddisaster risks, the country put women and girls at the centre ofdecision-making.

In a recent interview granted to the Vietnam NewsAgency (VNA), she noted the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day(March 8), “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”, aims torecognise contributions by women and girls across the world, who bear most of theresponsibility in climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts, so as tobuild a more sustainable future for all.

This theme also matches of the coming prioritytheme of the UN Commission on the Status of Women: “Achieving gender equalityand the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change,environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes.”

Around the world, gender inequality and theclimate and environmental crises are the biggest challenges to sustainabledevelopment of the era, with disproportionate impacts on women and girls,especially the vulnerable and fringe groups, according to Saenz.

Socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemichave also increased effects of the climate and environmental crises and pushedthe people who are lagging behind further into extreme poverty, she said,adding that in this context, women and girls often suffer from more adverseimpacts.

In Vietnam, which is facing growing impacts ofclimate change and natural disasters, severe droughts and floods over the pastyears have not only caused major economic losses but also led to negativeconsequences on every aspect of people’s life, particularly the life of themost vulnerable groups.

The UN Women official cited internationalexperience as showing that the policies and programmes on climate, theenvironment, and disaster risks will have the best effect once women and girlsare put at the centre of decision-making.

She suggested Vietnam mainstream genderperspectives in the policies and programmes on disaster, climate, andenvironmental risk reduction; promote women and girls’ full and equalparticipation and leadership in climate, environmental, and disaster actionsand risk management at all levels; and build up the resilience of women, girls,and women’s organisations.

The country should also increase prevention,response to, and settlement of gender-based and sexual violence in all theclimate and environmental crises and disasters; boost funding for genderresponsive initiatives on climate, the environment, and disaster risks, assistwomen’s organisations, businesses, and cooperatives; while improving andinvesting in gender statistics in the links between gender and the environment,the UN Women representative added./.