From different corners of the world – from Rio to Johannesburg, from Kampala to Paris, from Menikhinna (Sri Lanka) to Washington DC, more than 30 of the world’s leading experts on gender and environment representing government, UN agencies, international and regional organizations, civil society and universities gathered in Chavannes de Bogis, Switzerland. The purpose of the meeting, held on 18-20 February, was to discuss the objectives, scope, framework and methodology for the first Global Gender and Environment Outlook (GGEO) reporting process.

The GGEO will be the first global assessment of its kind, and it represents UNEP’s commitment in response to the call of the Network of Women Ministers and Leaders for the Environment (NWMLE) to lead a global assessment on gender and environment. UNEP’s response resonates with the commitment made by Member States in the Rio+20 Conference Outcome document, which renewed the call for gender equality and the empowerment of women to achieve sustainable development. Moreover, the First Universal Session of the UNEP’s Governing Council (2013) welcomed the development of a GEEO, which will use social science information as well as gender-relevant indicators to review gender environment linkages and guide policy actions towards gender equality.

During the three-day meeting, the expert group actively provided their knowledge and advice on the key focus areas of gender and environment, an existing framework and an innovative mixed method that would capture both the social science and natural science aspects of the assessment; help to identify relevant indicators and data gaps, and other elements that will assist in the implementation of the project.

Aside from a wealth of information and knowledge that came out from the Meeting sessions, there was a strong sense of excitement and solidarity in supporting the work to be done on the Global Gender and Environment Outlook, providing early support to the relevance of this assessment. The GGEO is scheduled to be launched in June 2016 and expected to provide scientifically credible information and data, policy options, strengthen capacity and partnerships on gender and environment.

The meeting was organized by a collaboration of UNEP's Office of Operations/Gender and Social Safeguard Unit, and Division of Early Warning and Assessment (Nairobi and Geneva offices) with additional support from the UNEP Regional Office for Europe.

More information: ron.witt@unep.org and wondwosen.asnake@unep.org