Few governments understand the gender connection to climate change. Those that do understand tend to be either exceptionally aware of gender issues as a nation such as Finland and Iceland, or they are already suffering the consequences of climate change and its effect on women such as Bangladesh or Lesotho.

One woman who has stood out at the negotiations so far, and has successfully managed to draft a gender related statement for the shared vision document that now has the chance to be adopted by the whole delegation is Ingibjorg Davidsdottir. She is the Icelandic Director from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs with responsibility for Human Rights and Equality Issues.

She has proposed “the full integration of gender perspectives is essential to effective action on all aspects of climate change, including adaptation, mitigation, technology sharing, financing, and capacity building. The advancement of women,. Their leadership and meaningful participation, and their engagement as equal stakeholders in all climate related processes and implementation must be guaranteed.”

Next week Ingibjorg will accept a GenderCC award for her work highlighting gender and environmental issues to governments around the world. She is modest and charming and altogether realistic, “nothing is agreed until the whole statement is agreed”.

She is correct in this respect, for although gender is not the agenda in any huge or meaningful capacity, just agreeing a short paragraph which will be printed next week for the final statement was a huge concession and might bring more finance or programmes towards gender related adaptation and mitigation. It’s been a difficult situation, many people don’t want to speak of lifestyle changes or communication issues between cultures. The emphasis has been on complex fiscal initiatives for alternative energy or carbon tracking and in some cases that also means promoting nuclear technology which on the whole women reject as a solution.

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has already clearly articulated the important role of women in addressing climate change. Gender CC say that any agreements and statements should ensure compliance with existing women’s rights standards and best practises as enshrined in CEDAW, MDGs and Security Council Resolution 1325.