By Chiara Martinelli – Director of Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe
Across the globe, we are witnessing a worrying backsliding on women’s rights and gender equality, with setbacks in various regions, including EU countries, and worrying cuts to funding, including for sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls. This is part of a worrying and escalating trend to attack and weaken democracy, respect of human rights and public participation, while undermining the efforts towards a just transition; a transition that should allow people to live in dignity within planetary boundaries and that should support first the most vulnerable communities who are already paying the highest price of the impacts of inequalities and climate change..
This year’s International Women’s Day, under the theme ‘For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.“ highlights the need for a feminist future based on inclusion and agency – one where no woman is left behind. A feminist future that enables democracy, just transition and wellbeing for all to flourish.
At the same time, this year marks two significant anniversaries: 10 years since the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including the SDG 17 a goal on gender equality and 30 years since the UN Women Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a landmark document for advancing gender equality worldwide. These anniversaries are important reminders of the progress we’ve made and the work still left to be done. They are also a call to sustain the ambition needed to drive this agenda forward, despite the challenging political context across the globe. Among UN Women’s six themes for IWD is climate justice: prioritize women and girls in climate action by boosting their leadership and access to green jobs. It’s essential to recognise that achieving gender equality is a crucial element of accelerating effective climate action.
A gender gap
As the climate crisis continues to worsen, the intersection of women’s rights and a just transition to a sustainable, inclusive future becomes even more critical. Women have been at the forefront of climate action for decades, leading movements, resistance, research and initiatives including testing innovative tools and hosting participatory spaces. From Rachel Louise Carson’s groundbreaking work on pesticide pollution to recent climate activists, like Nemonte Nenquimo, defender of the Amazon rainforest, many women – across decades and continents – have demonstrated the importance of inclusive, sustainable approaches.
Yet, structural issues are holding back women’s roles in sectoral transitions. Women remain underrepresented in top-level climate governance: In global climate negotiations, they make up around 39% of constituted bodies. In the energy sectors- within the energy and energy utilities composite, only 13.9% of senior management are held by women. This inequality extends to climate finance: funding that should be supporting the transition in the Global South remains disproportionately low.
A true just transition must center gender equality, while ensuring women’s voices and leadership are prioritised over the perpetuation of an exclusive and patriarchal system that underpins the very causes of climate change and the economic model that has led us to this crisis, in the fight for climate justice.
What we mean when we talk about just transition
A just and fair transition means transforming our economy – the way we produce and consume- from food to energy, from transport to buildings, to ensure we limit global warming to 1.5°C, prevent deadly and extreme climate impacts, and restore biodiversity. But for this transition to be fully just, its costs and benefits must be shared equitably, especially between people and countries according to their capacity to pay and adapt. Between those with greater responsibility and those most affected.
Looking at the history of International Women’s Day, the evolution of women’s rights is intertwined with their role in labour movements, strike action, and social activism. Women have led and must continue to lead calls for labour rights and economic justice through the just energy transition.
The transition to a 100% renewable energy future is an opportunity to place gender equality into the heart of climate solutions. As industries like coal, oil, and gas decline, reskilling and upskilling opportunities must be available to all. While many fossil fuels industry workers are men -who must definitely be supported and accompanied in this complex transition, it’s equally important to ensure that women are included in the growing green economy. Women must have equal access to creation of sustainable solutions and leadership roles in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and green technology. Gender balance must be ensured in consultation and participation processes to shape the future of territories and industries in transition.
Moreover, women are heavily employed in many lower-carbon sectors like care and public services – sectors that, with improved pay and conditions, are the kind of sectors we want to see grow in the transition.
Inclusive solutions for climate justice
To ensure climate action generates benefits for everyone, integrating an intersectional feminist perspective into all climate policies is non negotiable. This is key to achieving the systemic change we need;as without policies that deep dive into the intersections of gender, social, racial and economic injustices, we risk exacerbating existing inequalities.
A truly just transition demands a commitment to gender equality across all aspects of climate action – from policy design to financial investments. Only through inclusive decision-making and targeted support can we build an economy that works for everyone. At the same time we must tackle the underlying social injustices that exacerbate the impacts of the crisis. This means recognizing and addressing the historical and ongoing inequalities that disproportionately affect women, particularly in the Global South.
Luckily, solutions to the climate crisis exist: expanding public transport, insulating homes, lowering energy prices through renewables, benefit lower income groups and women in particular. But they should not be mere recipients, they must be empowered and actively engaged in their development and rollout.
Gender justice needs to be at the heart of climate action – one that ensures an equitable, inclusive, and just transition for all.
