Towards sustainable societies:
the transformative vision, perspective and role of women

Diana MalpedeUNESCO
Kobe University, 27 March 2012Outline• Sustainable societies and global challenges• The transition towards sustainability: the unity of knowledge

Overview• Women, science, sustainability and gender equality• Sustainable societies have a women’s faceSustainable society: addressing global challenges

 Poverty
 Health Global climate change Loss of biological diversity
 Weakened ecosystem services
 Natural disasters Energy crisis Water stressWhich kind of knowledge to address global challenges and build
sustainable societies?

 From the analytical approach
towards integration of elements tocomplex systems
 Breaking down of disciplinary
boundaries
 Bridging academic and nonacademic world in order to connect
research and social changes
towards sustainability

Science is built of facts the way a houseis built of bricks; but an accumulation offacts is no more science than a pile ofbricks is a house” (Henri Poincaré)

The unity of knowledge

The new landscape of scienceTransition to sustainability“a transition from the period when humans
were a disruptive force on the planet Earth
to the period when humans become present
to the planet in a manner that is mutuallyenhancing”
Thomas Berry, The Great Work: Our Way into the Future

The Sustainability Discourse•

Innovative holistic perspective on the human and ecologicaldimension of society•

Opportunities to reconnect science to society and to build a
new basis for research and development as a key precondition
for both science and society to flourish•

Democratic andtransformation

participatory

processofchangesandTransition to sustainability: sustainable science Sustainable science is aimed at finding sustainable solutions in acomplex world characterised by factors which may be generated
locally, but with their impacts affecting people globally and acrossgenerations
 Sustainability science as complexity science Interaction of multiple-complex, dynamic, non-linear, self-organisingsystems under conditions of increasing uncertainty
 Sustainability science implies not only involving different disciplines,
but going beyond disciplines towards « transdisciplinarity »Trandisciplinarity: dialogue and mutual learning focus on lifeworld problems
 transcending and integrating disciplinary
paradigms
 participatory research; and the search for a unity of knowledge
beyond disciplines.

UNESCO’s Action towards sustainability and transdisciplinarity

 The important MAB (Man and the Biosphere Programme)with over 580 sites - 114 countries around the world The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission,
extremely important programmes relating to the oceansan The International Hydrological Programme related to themanagement of the water resources International Geological Correlation ProgrammeConnecting women, science andsustainability

Sustainable societies

Gender equality and Sustainable Societies:
a close interconnection
Sustainable society means: Social and economic justice Poverty alleviation
 Women's rights
 Women’s empowerment
 Sustainability Participation

All are women’s issues

Gender Gap in STI : some figures•

In 121 countries with available data, women represent slightly morethan one-quarter of researchers (29%). but regional disparities
occur, for example 46% in Latin America and the Caribbean
compared to 15% in Asia•

In 37% of these countries, they represent less than one-third.

•

Only about 15% of countries have achieved gender parity, and only
a handful of others have more female researchers than male.

•In Africa, it was estimated that about 33% of researchers werewomen. In Guinea, the female share was as low as 5.8% (data for theyear 2000), while the highest share was found in Lesotho at 55.7%(in 2004).

A new insight on why women opt out of Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
More women show interest when: S&T is intimately connected to solving human problems andmaintaining the environments on which people depend for their
quality of life
 S&T is seen as communication, a way to connect people in terms ofenable communities to strengthen their activities and culture, andmaintain themselves in a globalized world The S&T agenda is shaped by women’s needs, perspectives andvalues.

Inspiring, - Promoting – Engaging the next generation of women scientists:

the challenge of sustainability and transdisciplinarity• Going beyond figures and numbers• Beyond the affirmative action and equality itself totransformation• Increasing the number women in science higher education, inscientific careers and in heading scientific institutions is only thefirst and necessary step, “a conditio sine qua non”

The active participation of women in sustainable society have been ignoredby many development plans: women as beneficiaries

UNESCO’s vision on Gender S&T for sustainable societies• Facilitating the integration ofgender perspectives, vision,
knowledge and skills in thedesign, implementation andevaluation of STI policy;• Empowering women as
agents of change and notjust beneficiaries of STI.

Holistic Science and Technology Policy Design

Gender perspective linking:
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•••
•
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knowledge
policyvalueseconomyecologysocietynational - regional and international environment

UNESCO’s Commitment to Gender Equality and to S&T andEngineering in Natural Sciences•

Supporting the participation of women in the definition of problems, priorities, methodologies,
and the design and uses of S&T shaping the science policy agenda.

•Emphasis on networking, research, advocacy, capacity-building and sharing of good practices
to producing science policy that fully integrate the gender equality perspective•

Supporting key role of women in the transmission, preservation and elaboration of local andindigenous knowledge related to sustainable development, natural disaster preparedness andresponse, biodiversity conservation and climate change•Particular focus on gender dimensions of engineering and basic sciences. Activities include theUNESCO-L’OREAL Partnership “ForWomen in Science” consisting of fellowships for young
women scientists•

Gender mainstreaming in water sciences, capacity development, education and research via theactivities of IHP and WWAP. and improving gender balance in water-related networks•

In the ecological and earth sciences, the importance of the role of women and gender-balanced
approaches in biodiversity conservation through the MAB programme
UNESCO’s Programme and Budget for 2010 and 2011 (36 C/5)

Sustainable societies have a woman’ s face

Knowledge, experiences, vision and reflections of
women have been in some case crucial to the creation of
the concept of sustainable development

Gro Harlem Brundtland“Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of thepresent without compromising the ability of future generations”

Chipko movement'What do the forests bear? Soil, water and pure air'.

Rachel Carson“It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to theearth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know of wonderand humility”

Barbara Ward“We have forgotten how to be good guests, how to walklightly on the Earth as its other creatures do..”Wangari Muta Maathai“ Throughout Africa, women are the primary caretakers, holding significant responsibility

for tilling the land and feeding their families. As a result, they are often the first to
become aware of environmental damage as resources become scarce and incapable ofsustaining their families.”

Final words
Building sustainable societies:
a great scientific, ecological and ethical challenge•
Women have some answers
as well as new questions: allaround the world they havebuilt alternatives that are
based on different values,
different visions of thefuture.
Vision of solidarity rather
than competition,transformative action,
construction rather thandestruction

Thank you