At COP29, 2024, in Baku Azerbaigian there are discussions surrounding gender and finance have once again highlighted the critical importance of gender-responsive climate finance.
by Giulia Sironi
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At COP29, discussions surrounding gender and finance have once again highlighted the critical importance of gender-responsive climate finance. For empowering women, particularly those in marginalized communities, in the context of the climate crisis, finance must go beyond mere investment to address how resources are allocated.
Gender-responsive climate finance
The draft text of the New Collective Quantified Goal negotiations emphasizes that climate finance must uphold and advance human rights in a manner that is both human rights-based and gender-responsive. Article 35 of the November 16 draft states:
“Climate finance must respect, protect, promote, and fulfill human rights by being human rights-based and gender-responsive, and must safeguard the rights of […] people and communities on the front lines of climate change, including women and girls.”
Achieving a meaningful progress requires a really hard work in a comprehensive strategy that explicitly links gender considerations with climate finance mechanisms. What is truly central in this approach? When you look at this topic it’s clearly central the principle of intersectionality—recognizing the overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination that women face and climate change.
Addressing gendered impacts
Let’s talk about intersectionality. Women, especially in developing countries, disproportionately bear the impacts of climate change due to entrenched inequalities. Limited access to resources such as land, education, and financial capital exacerbates their vulnerability and hampers their ability to adapt to climate crises.
Occupational roles compound these challenges. A significant number of women depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, making them particularly susceptible to the disruptions caused by climate change.Extreme weather events, including floods, droughts, and rising sea levels, often force entire populations to migrate, with displaced women and girls facing heightened risks of violence, trafficking, and exploitation.
From passive recipients to active leaders
Historically, women have been viewed as passive beneficiaries of climate initiatives, but this perspective is changing. The transition from passive users of resources to active agents of change requires going beyond symbolic inclusion. Gender parity in leadership, for example, need to be both among youth and senior decision-makers.
More and better quality data is needed
Robust data collection and monitoring are indispensable for tracking progress. While strides have been made in gathering gender-disaggregated data, significant gaps in quality and depth remain. Integrating gender analysis with power analysis for example offers a better understanding of systemic inequalities, because it allows to monitor structural changes required to achieve equity.Women, particularly those in vulnerable communities, are at the forefront of climate action, and gender resposive finance can address this systemic inequalities.
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To know more about intersectionality