ECDPM European Centre for Development Policy Management

In the fifth episode of ECDPM’s podcast series 'Minding the gap: conversations on gender', Hanne Knaepen talks to Giulia Maci, gender specialist and manager of the Euro-Mediterrean region at Cities Alliance (UNOPS). They talk about gender-sensitive climate action in cities and learn how women empowerment, climate action, and urban development are interlinked.

In the fourth episode of ECDPM’s podcast series ‘Minding the gap: conversations on gender’, Sara Gianesello talks to Houda Zekri, Moroccan gender expert, and Stephanie Willman Bordat, a founding partner at MRA - Mobilising for Rights Associates, based in Rabat. They delve into the Moroccan justice system to shed light on the challenges and obstacles that women face when seeking justice.

Almost two-thirds of African women are employed in agrifood systems as food producers, agro-dealers, processors, distributors and traders. They are also often responsible for sourcing and cooking food for their families. Yet, multiple sources of inequality constrain women’s participation, well-being and empowerment. How can we ensure women have more access to resources such as land or finance? Can food security goals and gender equality be achieved simultaneously? And what steps are already being taken to ensure women are actively engaged in food systems?

Gender (in)equality is often treated as a women's and girls’ issue, but boys and men are also part of the equation. Power imbalances create patriarchal structures and both women and men uphold these structures (often involuntarily). What does it mean to engage boys and men in the fight for gender equality? Why is it difficult to get them to support gender equality? And why do we need to talk about masculinities in the plural?

In recent years, the field of international cooperation has seen the growing presence of a new professional figure: the gender expert. Gender experts support and advise policymakers and practitioners to make sure their work has a gender perspective and supports gender equality. But why is gender expertise important? Who gets to decide who these experts are? And can gender expertise stray away from feminism or become exclusionary when it doesn’t recognise multiple forms of oppression?

In recent years, policymakers in Europe and Africa have been giving more attention to the climate crisis. However, dealing with the climate crisis is not an isolated action. Its impact on all aspects of human life means countries cannot take isolation action, having instead to prioritise coordination with other countries and regions. This 2-part podcast series zooms in on EU-Africa climate diplomacy and how the EU and Africa can overcome diplomatic tensions in the realm of climate and energy.