Skip to main content

LUP Student Papers

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Transforming the climate change-gender nexus? : revisiting gender mainstreaming in the context of climate change and disaster risk reduction: experiences from the Swedish Embassy in Bangkok

Karlsson, Sofia LU (2020) MIDM19 20201
Department of Human Geography
LUMID International Master programme in applied International Development and Management
Abstract
The gendered nature of impacts from climate change and disasters has become increasingly apparent. As such, this thesis analyses gender mainstreaming at the Development Cooperation Section of the Swedish Embassy in Bangkok with specific reference to its climate change and disaster risk reduction contributions in the Asia-Pacific region. Gender mainstreaming is contextualised within a wider theoretical debate on neoliberalism and the gendered nature of institutions that constrain the potential of such processes. Through semi-structured interviews and a content analysis of project documents, this thesis examines how gender is mainstreamed and to what extent this process can be characterised as ‘transformative’ using a five-criteria framework... (More)
The gendered nature of impacts from climate change and disasters has become increasingly apparent. As such, this thesis analyses gender mainstreaming at the Development Cooperation Section of the Swedish Embassy in Bangkok with specific reference to its climate change and disaster risk reduction contributions in the Asia-Pacific region. Gender mainstreaming is contextualised within a wider theoretical debate on neoliberalism and the gendered nature of institutions that constrain the potential of such processes. Through semi-structured interviews and a content analysis of project documents, this thesis examines how gender is mainstreamed and to what extent this process can be characterised as ‘transformative’ using a five-criteria framework developed by van Eerdewijk (2013).

The thesis finds that gender mainstreaming can only to some extent be categorised as transformative. Whilst there is a high ambition on gender mainstreaming, and some innovative support functions have been developed, the process is hindered by significant external and institutional constraints. Staff adopt several tactics to overcome these, the most prominent of which is the promotion of a technical and instrumental approach to gender mainstreaming that is seen as less politically sensitive. They also promote a ‘business-case’ for gender mainstreaming. However, such tactics have been criticised by several feminist scholars. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Karlsson, Sofia LU
supervisor
organization
course
MIDM19 20201
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
gender mainstreaming, climate change, disaster risk reduction, feminist institutionalism, gender expertise, neoliberalism
language
English
id
9008893
date added to LUP
2020-06-12 16:40:53
date last changed
2020-06-12 16:40:53
@misc{9008893,
  abstract     = {{The gendered nature of impacts from climate change and disasters has become increasingly apparent. As such, this thesis analyses gender mainstreaming at the Development Cooperation Section of the Swedish Embassy in Bangkok with specific reference to its climate change and disaster risk reduction contributions in the Asia-Pacific region. Gender mainstreaming is contextualised within a wider theoretical debate on neoliberalism and the gendered nature of institutions that constrain the potential of such processes. Through semi-structured interviews and a content analysis of project documents, this thesis examines how gender is mainstreamed and to what extent this process can be characterised as ‘transformative’ using a five-criteria framework developed by van Eerdewijk (2013). 

The thesis finds that gender mainstreaming can only to some extent be categorised as transformative. Whilst there is a high ambition on gender mainstreaming, and some innovative support functions have been developed, the process is hindered by significant external and institutional constraints. Staff adopt several tactics to overcome these, the most prominent of which is the promotion of a technical and instrumental approach to gender mainstreaming that is seen as less politically sensitive. They also promote a ‘business-case’ for gender mainstreaming. However, such tactics have been criticised by several feminist scholars.}},
  author       = {{Karlsson, Sofia}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Transforming the climate change-gender nexus? : revisiting gender mainstreaming in the context of climate change and disaster risk reduction: experiences from the Swedish Embassy in Bangkok}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}