The number of women that participated at this year’s climate negotiation organized by the UN in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, has generated concerns for charities, activists and politicians.
Although females bear a disproportionate burden from climate change, a BBC analysis shows that women make up less than 34% of country negotiating teams at the UN summit in Egypt and government officials and campaigners say that without greater representation climate change can’t be tackled and women’s lives will worsen as a result.
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With 7 out of the 110 leaders that posed for the inaugural picture on November 6 being women, it is one of the lowest concentrations of women seen at these UN climate summits – known as COPs, according to the Women’s Environment and Development Organisation (WEDO), which tracks female participation at such events.
The male skew among leaders reflected a broader trend across the delegation teams that countries have sent. Analysis by the BBC of the participant list found that less than 34% of country negotiation staff were female. Some teams were more than 90% male.
BBC analysis of the country teams at COP27 in Egypt shows that European, North American and island states are more likely to have balanced teams, whilst African and Middle Eastern countries are more likely to skew male.
Story was adapted from the BBC.
