Women urged to take centre stage in climate decision-making

Members of Miti ni Mali Indigenous Women Aboretum involved in conservation in Isiolo's Sieku Village. [File, Standard]

Climate stakeholders are calling for the removal of systemic, cultural, and institutional barriers that continue to exclude women from climate decision-making.

At a virtual roundtable on women's leadership in climate action, convened this month by SHE Changes Climate Kenya, ten women leaders from diverse sectors discussed the challenges and opportunities in advancing gender equity in climate policy.

Participants noted that while women bear the brunt of climate change effects, they remain underrepresented in leadership roles that shape policies and programs.

Key barriers identified in the discussion include restrictive cultural norms, the burden of unpaid care work, land ownership inequalities, limited access to financing, and gender-blind implementation of climate policies.

Others cited exclusion from technical fields due to a lack of mentorship, inadequate capacity-building, and entrenched patriarchal systems that undermine women's leadership.

Women-led initiatives, they added, are often underfunded and relegated to supporting roles instead of being placed at the centre of decision-making.

"We don't need to fix the women. We need to fix the capital and the system," said Carey Bohjanen of The Rallying Cry, calling for greater investment in women-led initiatives.

The discussion also highlighted reframing narratives around women in climate action. "We need to portray women not as victims of climate change but as powerful agents of change," said Mamta Borgoyary, a member of SHE Changes Climate.

Kathryn Mumbua of Smart Freight Centre stressed that women's participation must go beyond representation: "Women are well-positioned to build the bridges across sectors that this transition demands. The opportunity is not just to participate, but to influence, to innovate, and to lead."

To address the barriers, participants proposed key actions such as creating women-focused climate funds and small grants to unlock gender-responsive financing. They also called for mandatory quotas for women's representation in climate decision-making bodies, as well as mentorship and capacity-building programs to prepare women for leadership.

Policymakers were urged to ensure the gender-responsive implementation of climate frameworks and to recognise the interrelated nature of gender issues.

The leaders also noted that centring women's voices in climate decision-making is not only a matter of fairness but a critical step to building effective, inclusive, and sustainable solutions.

SHE Changes Climate, which seeks to build a network of 10,000 women climate leaders across 20 countries, was recognised as a key driver in this effort.