India must move beyond tokenism in climate-gender policy: CRF Dialogue

New Delhi, Oct 18 (PTI) India must shift from checkbox approaches to fully integrating gender justice into climate policy, speakers said at a dialogue hosted by the Chintan Research Foundation (CRF).

Titled 'Climate Futures Through a Gender Lens', the event brought together researchers, advocates, and policymakers at the Academy of Fine Arts and Literature to discuss the need for gender-responsive frameworks in India's climate and energy transitions, according to a statement issued by the organisers.

CRF President and former WTO Director Priyadarshi opened the session by stating, "Climate justice and gender justice are inseparable. For our policies to be truly sustainable, they must be equitable, inclusive, and people-centric." CRF researcher Meheli Roy Choudhury said while gender is reflected in global frameworks like the Sustainable Development Goals, its translation into policy and implementation in India remains limited.

Keynote speakers included Kalyani Raj, President of the All India Women's Conference, and Mini Govindan, Senior Fellow at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

Raj highlighted the "double and triple burdens" women face, including limited access to finance, systemic exclusion from capacity-building, and disproportionate climate vulnerability. She called for climate policies that prioritize social inclusion and community resilience.

Building on these insights, Govindan criticized centralized, top-down climate governance models, noting they often exclude women's voices. She advocated for participatory, bottom-up approaches and urged India to lead the Global South in promoting a just and inclusive development model.

Panellists agreed that India's climate and energy strategies must move beyond technocratic and investment-led models to include those most affected by the climate crisis - especially women, who are often frontline agents of change.

The session concluded with a call to institutionalize gender-responsive planning through inclusive frameworks, gender budgeting, and accountability mechanisms.

CRF said it remains committed to fostering dialogues that bridge policy and practice, and advance inclusive, sustainable development. PTI ANU ANU